


Race to the End

by GhostlyWitchAvenger



Series: Stellar Abyss [5]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alien Planet, Alien Technology, Aliens, BAMF Kirk, HAPPY MOTHERFUCKING ENDINGS, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Resurrection, Rough Sex, So sue me, Spock is hard to write, Temporary Character Death, i made a character tag for my oc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2018-09-22 21:16:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 30,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9625643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostlyWitchAvenger/pseuds/GhostlyWitchAvenger
Summary: Something happened down on that planet. Something bad. After falling into a deep coma, Esero wakes up mentally connected with the very creature that wiped out an entire civilisation. Chosen for a task he didn’t want, it’s up to the Betazoid to save the universe as he knows it, even if it means the sacrifice of his own life.





	1. Act I Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> Space: the final frontier.  
> These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilisations…  
> To boldly go where no man has gone before.

“Good mornin’, sunshine,” The greeting was whispered, just a ghost of air across his cheek that was followed by the briefest of kisses against his jaw. When fingers gently carded through his hair, he allowed a small smile to grace his lips. The waves of affection and  _ love _ coming off of his partner was like a drug.

This definitely beat being awoken by the alarm.

“Morning,” Set yawned, nuzzling into the hand that now cupped his face. His eyes never left the blue ones gazing at him so intently, “I’ll never get tired of this.”

Leonard chuckled, “Of what?”

“Waking to your face each morning… Of you,” A huff of laughter left his nose when he recalled  _ why _ he was up now, “Thanks for waking me like you did for Alpha shift. Lord knows it’s better than that infernal alarm,” With that, Set reluctantly crawled out from under the covers, inching towards the edge of their bed and away from the comfortable heat he really didn’t want to leave.

He hummed when arms wrapped around his torso, stopping him with kisses pressed into his neck and sending delicious shivers down his spine, “Let’s just stay in,” Was murmured against his skin, “We can call in sick and I’ll take you to bed, darlin’.”

Although Set’s body definitely agreed with the doctor’s proposition - his arousal was obvious as he was still unclothed from their activities last night - the Betazoid knew they had responsibilities they couldn’t shirk just because they wanted to fool around, “As tempting as that sounds,” He managed to groan out when McCoy starting using his tongue, “We can’t just  _ not _ report for duty. In case it’s slipped your mind, we’re scheduled to be on the away team today.”

Leonard let out a long sigh of frustration, ceasing his ministrations and simply resting his forehead against Set’s heated skin, “God, thanks for that reminder. I really did forget about that.”

Twisting in his hold, Set pressed a chaste kiss to the other man’s lips, “That’s okay,” When their noses bumped together he bit his lip in a way he hoped was alluring, “Besides, that’s all we’ve got planned today. After that, we can do whatever we want.”

“Oh, I definitely like the sound of that,” McCoy practically purred, darting forward to steal another kiss, “I need to take a cold shower, though. The sonics ain’t gonna get rid of my desire for you right now.”

“I might have to come with,” Set added on to that thought, giving him a wink at his pun, “Wouldn’t want to waste the water rations would we?”

“Absolutely not.”

They did end up wasting those rations in the end, and obtained a few more hickeys than what they started with.

* * *

 

Despite the obscene amount of time they had spent in the shower, they still ended up in the briefing room earlier than the others. Of course, Kirk was the first one there like always, looking in both parts intimidating and splendid sitting at the head of the table.

Captain Kirk was someone who Set held in the highest of respects. He was a good man, and an even better leader. But, he still made mistakes and had his flaws. Set couldn’t help but like him, because despite how revered and lauded he was for being the best captain in the ‘Fleet, he still managed to be so  _ human _ .

A human who, currently, was staring at the two of them rather intently, arms crossed as he leant back in his chair. His face was closed off as he raised his brow high at Set’s questioning glance. He shivered.

The man also terrified him sometimes.

His staring didn’t let up until Spock and ensign Lee entered, in which he wasted no time in starting the briefing once they took their seats, “Good morning, everyone. As you already know, a week ago Starfleet Headquarters ordered the  _ Enterprise _ to change course for Jahannam. For over two weeks now, the Crulognor have been radio silent… for all intents and purposes.”

Set exchanged a look of concern with Lee across from him. Jahannam, a small class M planet, was dense in population and teeming with life. It would take an apocalyptic level event to silence the music and laughter of their culture.

“All transmissions have ceased, and so has their shuttle traffic.”

“Is it possible that there’s a block?” Bones cut in, pressing a finger to his lips in thought, “You would need transmissions to direct traffic, and if you don’t have those transmissions…”

“Negative, doctor,” Their Vulcan science officer piped in, “That was one of the first options we had considered upon receiving our orders. However, the data shows that our messages are indeed getting through and are being received. They are just simply choosing not to answer.”

“Or are unable to,” Set muttered under his breath, a sinking feeling quickly brewing in his gut at the mere idea of it. Bones laid a strong hand against his thigh, offering comfort in the only way he could that was professional in this setting.

“You need to stop worryin’ so much. I’m sure nothin’ is wrong,” McCoy sighed, exasperated, “Maybe they just decided to stop talkin’ with us, Set. Who knows? I mean, they’re not officially part of the Federation yet.”

“Did you even  _ read _ the report? And that’s rich coming from you, Mr. space-is-disease-and-danger-wrapped-in-darkness-and-silence! For all we know, they can all be  _ dead _ . Or  _ sick _ .”

“ _ Gentlemen _ ,” Although his morbid train of thought was meant for Leonard’s ears only, Kirk had still heard him, “I’m inclined to agree with you lieutenant. Something about this just doesn’t smell right to me,” He finally leant forward onto the table, fingers steepled in front of him, “That’s why I want each of you to be on your most alert when we beam down. I want to be prepared for the worst case scenario when we get down there. I trust you can set up an effective quarantine procedure, Dr. McCoy?”

“What kind of doctor would I be if I didn’t already have one in place?” McCoy crossed his arms indignantly, scowling at his captain for all it was worth, “You need to have more faith in me, Jim.”

Since the meeting began, Kirk’s serious mask cracked and a lopsided smile twisted his lips, “You know I do, Bones,” With that, he clapped his hands together, “We’ll meet in the Transporter Room at 0900. That gives you an hour to get everything in order. Dismissed.”

Spock and Lee left with the briefest of nods. Just as Set and Bones crossed the threshold into the hall, Kirk’s voice called after them, his tone teasing, “I would use your water rations more wisely next time.”

McCoy choked on his spit as he sped up, pulling Set in tow who was shaking with mirth, their captain’s muffled laughter following them, “How in the blazes did he know?”

“Have you seen your neck?”

* * *

 

Watching Scotty trying to chat up ensign Lee was one of the most entertaining things he’d ever witnessed. The Betazoid wasn’t sure if the engineer thought he was being suave, leaning against the controls like that, hip cocked and chin propped in his calloused palm. The Chinese crewmember merely seemed to be humouring him while Spock looked on from the humming Transporter pad, face blank save for a raised brow.

“Good thing I wasn’t like that when I met you,” Leonard said, hand muffling his words as he tried to hide his smile. He was failing, “Why a man would make a fool out of himself like that is beyond me.”

Set gave him a sharp nudge, “Leave Scotty alone. Besides, I distinctly remember a certain southern doctor covering himself in perfectly good bourbon when he tried to rest his elbow against a table,” Bones spluttered in response when the redhead turned to him, “You missed the edge, if you don’t remember.”

“I thought we agreed to never talk about that,” He grumbled.

“I did no such thing,” Set replied primly, making an exaggerated sniff with his nose, “Why would I pass up the chance to blackmail you?”

“No, no, I remember you saying ‘We’ll keep this between us, doctor. No worries. Your secret is safe with me’,” The Betazoid looked askance at the doctor’s abhorrent imitation of his accent, and soon became mildly offended when he started fluttering his eyelashes at him, “You flirted with me  _ right  _ back.”

“Why you-!”

He didn’t have the chance to continue, however, when someone decided to clear their throat, “If you gentlemen are quite done, I’d like to get this show on the road.”

So focused they were on their conversation, neither had noticed when the others had ceased talking and were watching them, nor when Kirk decided to make his appearance. Without hesitation, the duo made their way towards the pad, “Yes, captain,” Set muttered, having the decency to look embarrassed. 

Bones on the other hand…

“You’re just jealous, Jim. Admit it.”

“Of course,” The captain said wryly, joining his crewmen on the pad, “If you would please, Mr. Scott.”

“Aye cap’n. Be careful down there.”

“Always am.”

Bright, golden lights shimmered around the five of them, breaking their bodies down to atoms and rebuilding them on the planet’s surface. When the glow faded, a particularly strong gust of wind brought with it some biting dust, forcing a string of curses to slip past the doctor’s mouth, “What in the devil’s name is this crap?”

Everyone raised a hand to shield the sand and dust from their eyes, squinting to get a better look at their surroundings. A landscape of rock and desert dominated their view as Kirk eyed the distance, away from the citadel.

Spock bent down to pick up some of the white sand at their feet once the wind died down, pinching the substance between his fingers, “Fascinating. Jahannam is supposed to have an abundance of green foliage and water. There are no reported deserts on this planet.”

“Any theories on how it got here?” Kirk asked, hands patting at his shirt to remove any remaining dust, “Maybe we missed something,” Esero dropped to his knees to pick up a pinch of the sand, examining the grains for himself.

“Well, we’re not going to find the answers here,” Lee said, her tunic pulled up around her nose and mouth to block the dust, “I suggest we head towards the city,” She gestured toward the scattering of buildings in the distance, the image distorted by the heat, “Strange that we got beamed down so far away.”

“Indeed,” Kirk said, pursing his lips. He beckoned for all of them to follow, “Let’s keep moving. Be cautious.”

“I think you were right, Set,” McCoy whispered as they walked along the stone path just barely peeking out of the desert, treading lightly and keeping an eye out for hostiles like the rest of them, “Somethin’ ain’t right. This planet has a population of over 12 billion individuals –  _ 12 billion _ – how come we haven’t come across a single one of them?”

“I don’t know, Len,” Set whispered back, brows furrowed, “I really don’t know,” A feeling of dread settled into the pit of his stomach as sweat gathered on his brow and a ringing started in his ears. Spock’s concerns were well founded. Esero had seen the various holo-pics of the planet. Each and every one displayed tall, exotic trees that reached for the skies and wildlife that deceived with beautiful colours.

In the distance, the citadel grew larger as the team drew closer. What little breeze that had remained from before was now gone, leaving them to trek in the humid heat. As the structures of the city became clearer, it was obvious to them that what once would have been bright buildings full of laughter, now looked dead and the colours were muted.

When a simple shake of his head didn’t rid him of the god awful ringing in his ears, he nudged the doctor to get his attention, “Something’s not right.”

“Thought we already established that,” Bones didn’t look at him as he continued walking, “I literally just said the exact same thing.”

“No, not that,” The ringing was getting more insistent now, and loud enough to the point it was starting to get painful. A cursory glance over the other members of the away team revealed that they obviously couldn’t hear whatever was plaguing him. When the ringing suddenly spiked and he sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth, Bones turned to him at the sharp sound, “Something’s wrong with  _ me _ .”

A sense of urgency struck McCoy, “Woah, what is it, Set?” He kept his voice deliberately low so as to not alert the others as he stopped his lover. Already, his tricorder was out and whirring away, trying to diagnose the problem.

“There’s this high pitched sound in my head. I thought it was nothing but it’s painful now,” Set managed to grit out, clenching his jaw in an attempt to assuage the pain pounding in his skull.

“Let’s get you in the shade before you swoon. It might be the heat; shade seems as scarce as hen’s teeth here,” Concern coloured the doctor’s voice, “Think you can make it to the city?” 

“Yeah. We’re pretty close, I think I can,” He grunted out, breathing harshly through his nose. Whatever this was… this ache… reminded him of a migraine. He had a hard time focussing on what was before him, and his vision dangerously tilted to the side.

_ Just one foot in front of the other. You’ve got this. It’s right th-. _

Set slowed when he felt something warm pouring from his nose. Surprised, he gasped and the taste of copper dominated his senses.  _ Blood _ . Fingers came away bright red when he wiped at his nose, quite possibly smearing the substance across his face.

An intense wave of pain followed swiftly after, so severe that it tore a scream of agony from his lips, catching the attention of the others.

“My God, Set!” He could barely hear Len’s voice over the now earsplitting sound. Someone just make it all _ stop. _ His legs couldn’t support his weight anymore; strong hands held him and slowed his descent to his knees. Suddenly everything was too bright, and too loud, and just too much, “Talk to me!”

Kirk’s face swam in and out of his vision, fear and alarm tightening his features. His mouth was moving but Set couldn’t understand the words. Like he was speaking in a different language.

“Oh God it hurts so much,” He sobbed out, breath hitching, “Make it go away, Len. I can’t handle it!” Something was tearing its way into his mind, making him feel so exposed  _ and he wanted it gone, _ “Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop.”

“Just hold on a little longer, darlin’. We’ll be back on the ship in a jiffy just - just stay with me,” Bones whispered into his ear, holding the tortured Betazoid in his arms as tightly as he could without hurting him, “Jim, the tricorder says his brain waves are all over the place but I don’t know what’s wrong with him!” A curse flew past his lips when Set suddenly fell limp in his arms, face finally slack and lacking signs of pain, “Set? Set, dammit wake up!”

“Mr. Scott, we need that transport  _ now _ ,” Spock hissed into his communicator, panic somehow having leached into his normally inexpressive voice.

“Finally got a lock on you, sir. Prepare for transport in 3… 2… 1…”

As the golden lights surrounded them all, the last thing Bones thought before they appeared on that pad, was that whatever just happened… he hoped he wasn’t too late.


	2. Act I Chapter II

Hiset Esero wasn’t a religious man by any means. He believed in science and what could be proven with experiments. All of his beliefs had basis in hard, cold facts and truths, not the ancient writings of a crazed individual long dead.

Screams. The feeling of terror. Fire.

He wasn’t a religious man, but he knew this must be hell.

It was pure chaos. The fear and agony nearly choked him with its intensity, and it wasn’t his own. Alien beings he almost didn’t recognise, their green skin painted grey with soot and grime, brushed past him in a flurry of panicked motion. They were wailing, crying out so very much like humans that he felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. In the distance, a dull roaring could be heard, but he didn’t know where it’s coming from –  _ he doesn’t want to know. _

_ Jahannam. _ His mind supplied for him, his memories slowly returning.  _ I was on Jahannam, and these are its inhabitants.  _ But he didn’t remember stepping foot in the city, nor did he remember these flames that climbed high into the sky, its heat stifling. The scent of death was suffocating, clinging to his skin like a shroud.

_ Set… Darlin’... _

“Len?” One alien shoved him on their way by, and it was then he noticed that so far, not one person has noticed his being there. “Len, where are you?” He shouted over the din, black eyes searching for his crewmates among the writhing mass of bodies. Tears of frustration pricked at his eyes, possibly exacerbated by the emotions swirling in the air like poison, “Leonard!”

_ Where have you gone? _

An earth shattering shriek rang through the air, sending a spike of fear through his heart. Set went to take a single step back in surprise but found that - whether of his volition or not - he was frozen in place. No matter how hard he tried to free his feet of whatever was keeping him still, he couldn’t move an inch. 

Several metres ahead, a large, black mass burst from the ground with an explosion, quickly spreading out and darkening the sky. Forming the creatures of nightmares, they pounced on the fleeing people, dragging them back to their original body kicking and screaming. And when those cries were cut off so harshly, Set knew he was going to be sick. Women, children… it took them all.

_ I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere. _

When the shock and horror of it all started to wane, he found the will to move –  _ run fast and far away. _ He made it all of six steps before something grabbed him by the ankle, causing his world to come rushing up to his face. He didn’t have to look to know what it was, its hazy hands burning into his skin. A scream tore past his lips as whatever this thing was crawled its way up his body, ominous purple orbs focused intently on his face and it’s enveloping him, devouring his soul, climbing into his mouth and covering his eyes and…

_ Please… just… open those beautiful eyes for me. _

* * *

 

Set’s muffled screaming was what woke McCoy from his dreamless sleep, hunched over in one of the uncomfortable chairs that littered the Medbay. The biobed’s alarms were screeching, shattering the tense silence that had become the norm the last couple of days. So surprised the doctor was at the Betazoid’s sudden awakening, he didn’t act until a fist nearly broke his nose.

He grabbed the flailing arms firmly and moved so he was leaning over the lieutenant, hoping that seeing a face he knew would help him calm down. But black eyes remained glazed and unseeing, darting every which way, “Set, don’t fight it. Let the tube do its job,” He freed a hand to caress a flushed jaw, Set’s lips slack around the endotracheal tube and McCoy shushing the Betazoid to the best of his ability.

Slowly, but surely, the beeping of the alarms slowed along with Set’s heart. Recognition flashed across his features, and the tightening of his face waned, relief immediately replacing his paralysing fear.

“That’s it, good. Just breathe,” Leonard let out a sigh and gently let up on his tight grasp, letting Set raise a hand to the older man’s face to assure himself that the doctor was real, “God, you really gave me… gave  _ us  _ a scare, darlin’.”

His eyes fluttered shut in exhaustion, relishing in the heat emanating from the palm on his stubbled cheek. Heat meant life. Life meant that he had Set. And Set was  _ home _ . He had a feeling the Betazoid could read the emotions rolling off of him in waves, as he hummed in gratification.

Terrified concern. Mind-numbing relief. Unrestrained  _ love. _

“Let’s get you sitting up,” McCoy softly said to him, long fingers finding the controls of the biobed with the familiarity of someone who’s used them a lot. As the machine loudly whirred in its job, he spared a glance to Set, who was watching him intently, brows drawn in concern, “I don’t understand how you still manage to look so beautiful with that shoved down your throat.”

The lieutenant rolled his eyes good-naturedly, cheeks lifted in a smile slightly warped by the tube between his lips as he shook his head, eyes wiggling in suggestion.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that, get your head out of the gutter!” At first, he thought his patient was shaking in laughter before he realised the man was actually shivering from the cold temperature in the room, “Christ Set, why didn’t you tell me you were feelin’ airish?”

The man simply shrugged when Bones placed a blanket over him, fondness decorating his features. Esero gestured to the piece of plastic in his mouth, as if to say ‘what’s with this?’

“I’ll discuss that with you later, after it’s been removed,” Set pouted as much as he could, “Oh quit it. I know you’re fixin’ for some answers but I’m not givin’ the ones I’m capable of givin’ until I say so,” When the pout increased in intensity, he simply rolled his eyes, “Since you’re goin’ to be like that, I might as well let Jim know you’re awake.”

Black eyes widened at the threat, before narrowing in scorn. It was a well-known fact on the ship that when something happened with no obvious explanation, the captain of the  _ Enterprise _ was like a dog with a bone when it came to finding the answers. It was also a well-known fact that if the CMO made a threat, he will most definitely follow through with it.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” McCoy smirked as he walked over to his computer, “I’ll tell him to come down only when you’re feelin’ better.”

Set’s face said it all.  _ As if that’s reassuring. _

“Jim,” Kirk’s voice crackled over the speakers acknowledging the doctor, “Thought I should let you know that the lieutenant’s awake.”

“Oh good. How’s Esero feeling?” The bedridden male made sure to send a withering glare the doctor’s way, warning him to try anything funny.

“He’s certainly not feelin’ up to any of your interrogations, Jim. This is not an invitation for you to come down and antagonise him,” His tone was lightly scolding, and light-hearted.

“Bones, you wound me!” Jim chuckled, “Alright, tell him I hope he gets better. And keep me updated. Kirk, out.”

Bones turned back to Set, hands on his hips, “See? It wasn’t that bad,” Another roll of his eyes, “Let’s get that tube out, then we can see if you’re actually up to see the captain.”


	3. Act I Chapter III

“How are you feeling?”

While a simple question that normally called for a simple answer, Set found himself hesitating. That dream - whatever it was - was frightening to witness to say the least. If he voiced what he experienced while unconscious, he’d certainly look like a nutcase because it sounded ridiculous and fantastical in nature. Just the over imaginative dreams of an alien.

However, his was  _ Len. _ His lover. His other half. His  _ imzadi _ . He had to tell him.

But should he?

“Scared. Tired. Everything,” The Betazoid replied listlessly, rubbing calloused hands over his forearms in an attempt at comfort.

“That’s to be expected. I suspect you’re probably feeling a little weak?” Bones didn’t look up from the PADD in his hand, typing away furiously at the screen. Confusion overcame Set.

“Weak?” He questioned, standing shakily to his feet, “I guess I do, but I’m not sure why. Whatever happened must have hit me harder than I thought.”

Blue eyes gazed at him warily, as if contemplating how to say his next words without frightening him. Well, too late for that. The lieutenant was already scared out of his god damned mind. Especially with that look.

“What?”

Leonard licked his lips nervously, before setting aside the PADD, “You were out for a while, Set. About five days.”

A wave of cold flashed through his body as he promptly fell back onto the biobed in shock, “Five days? Please tell me you’re joking, Len. Please tell me this is one sick joke and Jim is going to pop out somewhere and tell me this isn’t real.”

“Oh it’s real alright,” Bones muttered, taking a seat next to the other male, “Now do you understand why all of us were so worried? Why  _ I _ was worried?”  Tremors wracked his hands as he grabbed Set’s clenched fist, a shaky breath leaving his lips, “For five days you wouldn’t move. You couldn’t even  _ breathe _ , that’s why you woke up with the tube in your throat. The only reaction any of us could get out of you was a fluttering of your eyes, which only happened when I started talking to you.”

“I’m sorry,” Was whispered. Leonard gave a rueful chuckle before pressing his forehead to the Betazoid’s, breathing the same air as him.

“It’s not your fault, darlin’. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Their eyes were closed, simply basking in the warmth that was each other’s presence. He had to tell his  _ imzadi _ . They were two halves of a whole. They shared everything. Set audibly swallowed, his throat bobbing in time with the action, “I saw something.”

The doctor pulled back in alarm, back straightening from its exhausted slouch, “On the planet?”

“No… Well, figuratively yes,” He stuttered, “I don’t know. But it was awful,” Shudders racked his frame in remembrance, and the hands that held his own tightened, “I think I was back down on the planet.  _ God _ , I can’t get their screams out of my head. They were all dying and I was too, until I woke up.”

“That’s why you came out of the coma the way you did,” McCoy muttered, mostly to himself, “Do you know what it was you really saw? What it meant?”

“I don’t want to,” Set hissed, anger and fear thrumming through his veins, “I know what I saw wasn’t real, but those  _ things _ were barbaric,” Tear stung at his eyes and he fiercely sniffed them away, voice hitching, “There were children, Len. They - it, whatever - killed without discrimination.  _ Devoured _ them. And all I could do was stand there like the useless-.”

“Now don’t you go finishing that thought,” Bones’ hands grabbed his face in warning, forcing him to look at the doctor, “I can’t begin to understand what you saw, imagined or not, but I know what kind of man you are. Useless, is not one of them. It was just a dream, okay?”

A slow breath was forced from flared nostrils in an attempt to calm himself, “But what if they’re dead?  _ Really _ dead? And what if my dream  _ was _ real?”

McCoy sighed when his computer beeped, signalling an incoming message, “There’s no use in ponderin’ the ‘what if’s of anythin’, it’s not good for you,” Before he could get up to answer, Set grabbed his wrist.

“Please, don’t tell anyone.”

Leonard looked at him before shrugging, “Who am I gonna tell? We agree it’s only a dream, then there’s no reason to tell anyone,” Set sighed in relief, “McCoy here.”

“Bones,” Kirk’s voice crackled through the tinny speakers, dragging out the name. The lieutenant almost scoffed, imagining his captain leaning against the wall, posture relaxed as he spoke into the speaker, “How are you?”

“Cut the crap, Jim,” McCoy scowled, despite the other man incapable of seeing him, “You can come down to Sickbay now.”

“Copy that, on my way over. Kirk, out.”

“Why that man even bothers to beat around the bush is beyond me. He’s as transparent as the ship’s windows.”

It was to the sound of unrestrained laughter that Kirk was greeted with upon entering the doctor’s domain. After a little less than a week without Set’s animated presence, the captain found himself missing the Betazoid. Before his coma, Set’s presence had simply been white noise while Jim was on duty. He was there, in the background, but Kirk never paid him much mind. He only noticed Esero’s absence when everything seemed quieter.

Funny how you only appreciate things when they’ve gone silent.

The redheaded lieutenant was leaning back on the biobed, leg tucked under him as he tried to calm himself. Bones was leaning against the wall, arms crossed as he, too, laughed with abandon. He looked the most relaxed Jim had seen him in days.

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Jim made his presence known, a small smile on his lips, “Good to finally see you up and about, lieutenant.”

“It’s good to  _ be  _ awake, sir,” He said, lips still twitching when he heard Bones mutter a ‘you got here quick’, “I hear you have some questions for me?”

“Indeed,” Kirk leaned against an adjacent biobed, body language deceptively relaxed, “Why don’t we begin by you telling me what happened when we got down to that planet. How much do you remember?”

“Well,” The light expression slipped from his face when Set caught his lip between his teeth, now looking uncertain. Bones thought Kirk could interpret it as either a look of guilt, or unease. Either way, the captain wouldn’t be satisfied, “There’s not much to remember, captain. I recall a piercing ringing as we neared the city. But, outside of everything leading up to my collapse, I remember nothing.”

“That’s… unfortunate,” Jim frowned, “So, you don’t know what triggered it? Because whatever happened was powerful enough for you to start bleeding and screaming, which I must tell you, is terrifying to watch when it’s one of my own crew.”

Set shook his head, “No, I don’t. I’m sorry,” His brows furrowed briefly in thought, “Did you find out what happened to the Crulognor? Len hasn’t mentioned them since I’ve woken up, and it  _ has  _ been five days. Surely you found something, sir.”

When Kirk refused to look at him, clearing his throat a couple of times, the Betazoid sent a look to Bones. Leonard gave him a sheepish smile, shoulders lifting in a shrug.

“Unless you haven’t beamed down since then,” Set’s eyes narrowed, before he sighed, “Makes sense. I’d be surprised if you actually had gone down there again, to be honest, sir.”

Kirk hummed in response, eyes glazed over as the wheels turned in his head, “I wasn’t sure if it was safe. You said it was a ringing that you heard?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you’re sure no one else was affected?”

“Unless someone else has been in a coma, then yes, sir.”

Silence fell over the trio, Jim obviously deep in thought. Shifting, Set and Leonard exchanged a nervous glance between themselves. They had a feeling they wouldn’t like what he would say next.

“We’ll beam down again and get to the bottom of this. You’re coming with,” Satisfied, Kirk straightened and turned to leave sickbay.  _ Their hunch was right. _

“Now wait just a minute, Jim,” Bones called after him, “I haven’t cleared him for duty yet!”

“Then clear him!” Was all he said as the doors squeaked shut behind him, leaving the couple stunned in his wake.


	4. Act I Chapter IV

It was hot, dusty, and dead. Just like five days ago.

McCoy was hovering by Lieutenant Esero while the away team was once again making their way towards the city, eyes wary and watching his every movement. The doctor was afraid that he’d collapse again, and reasonably so. However, it didn’t mean that Hiset had to like it, “Len, I appreciate your concern, but if you keep walking so close that you’re practically up my ass I’m going to hit you.”

Ensign Lee, who was nearby, started to laugh. 

“Fine, but you don’t need to be so damn rude about it,” Bones muttered, “See if I catch you when you fall.”

More of that blasted sand blew in their faces, stinging their eyes and wearing at their exposed skin, “Did anyone take a sample the last time we were down here?” The hybrid shouted over the wind, squinting at Kirk’s form, “Like Mr. Spock said, there are no beaches or deserts on this planet. Maybe the composition of the sand can tell us where it came from,” He explained as he crouched low, tricorder in hand.

“An excellent idea, lieutenant,” Jim crouched next to Set, peering over his shoulder at the readings the science officer was receiving, “Any clues?”

“Patience,” Hiset cast a look at his captain from the corner of his eyes, lips itching to lengthen into an indulgent smile. The instrument in his hands beeped when it was done calculating, and his eyes widened in surprise, “Uh, captain, sir… I guess we now know what happened to the plants.”

“Meaning?”

Spock spoke up from his place nearby, having knelt down himself to collect his own sample, “Meaning, captain, that this sand is made of the same exact elements that compose the native plant life,” Jim stood abruptly, the creases on his face deepening with his frown, “Somehow the foliage has disintegrated into nothing but dust. I could not hazard a guess as to the cause.”

“Let’s keep moving, hopefully we’ll find answers in the city. Stay alert.”

What they found in the city only raised more questions, and a bone-chilling horror.

The smell had hit them first, merely metres from the archway.

“That smells like decaying flesh, sir,” Ensign Lee had said as she held a sleeve up to her nose, as if to ward off the stench. But it seemed to be fruitless, since it permeated the very air they breathed. There was no escape.

“Do you hear that?” Set had asked softly, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to not be intrusive.

“Hear what?” Panic had leached into McCoy’s voice as his mind flashed back to their first visit, thinking it was that twice damned ringing again.

“Nothing,” The Betazoid had continued, “No voices, no animals… just the wind.”

His words had settled a pit of dread deep within everyone’s guts, because he was right. For a planet, known for its lively culture and its diverse wildlife, to be so quiet raised too many red flags. As if the dust hadn’t before.

Of course, nothing could have prepared them for the sight they would be greeted with upon entering the city.

When the reality of it set it, Set’s body betrayed him and he promptly vomited where he stood, nearly falling over with the force of his heaves. Tears streamed down his face as the acidic bile burned his throat. Luckily, he missed both himself and McCoy, “Oh my  _ God _ ,” The doctor breathed, while rubbing a hand on the shivering male’s back, “How did this happen?” He managed to choke out, tears of his own pricking at his eyes.

Bodies upon bodies littered the streets, their skin ashen in death. Some were burned beyond recognition, their green skin now as black as charcoal, while other looked as if they were simply asleep. That is, if they discounted the blackened veins around their noses and mouths.

“I don’t think I want to know,” Lee said, her hands shaking and clammy, “Whatever did this, on this scale…” She trailed off, the rest of her sentence hanging in the air between them all, unsaid.

The captain’s face darkened the more he looked upon this gruesome sight, not at all reacting to the Betazoid’s retching, “We should proceed with caution, we do not know if whatever killed this planet is still here, be it weapon, or creature. I want phasers on full stun; stay together. No one goes anywhere alone,” Kirk pulled out his communicator, flipping it open, “Kirk to bridge.”

_ “Aye, Captain,” _ Sulu’s voice sounded through the tinny speaker, small but strong.

“Put the ship on yellow alert and send a security team down. Something killed everything on this planet, and we’re not sure if it’s still here. Be on your guard.”

_ “Yes, sir.” _

“Uhura?”

_ “Uhura here, sir.” _

“Send a message to Starfleet, detailing all that we know so far. We might need the help.”

_ “Transmission sent, sir. They’re sending the U.S.S. Defiant over to help us.” _

“Captain,” Set’s voice was hoarse from heaving, and he coughed a bit, “What would we do if we came across whatever this thing is? If it’s sentient... And could kill on this scale... We wouldn’t stand a chance,” If it was anything like he saw in his nightmare, which seemed more real with each passing second, they were doomed. He knew it.

“Let’s hope we don’t.”

“Easy,” McCoy whispered, helping the Betazoid to stand, “How’s your throat? I can imagine that wasn’t much fun.”

“I’m okay, considering,” Set replied, and sent a grateful look the CMO’s way.

The away team moved on with the couple taking the rear, their phasers out and ready to act if necessary.

“Do you see these?” Set gestured once they were closer to the centre of the capital, carefully stepping over more of the corpses as he made his way towards a building, “These markings are unusual.”

Lee walked up to it with her tricorder, eyeing the gouges in the stone and the substance on it warily, “There are some strange readings on the tricorder. In fact, there are elements we’ve never encountered in these grooves.”

Esero reached forward to touch it, and McCoy shouted in warning, “Wait, Set-!”

When his fingers brushed over the grooves, nothing happened, much to everyone’s relief, “Dammit, you’re goin’ to be the death of me,” Leonard helped him brush the powder off when he pulled his hand away and collected an uncontaminated sample, “Don’t go touchin’ things you have no business touchin’.”

“Fascinating,” Spock muttered as he drew closer to the wall, slanted brow raised high, “These markings closely resemble that of claws. Specifically humanoid hands, with four fingers and a single thumb.”

“Didn’t the Crulognor have three fingers?” Lee piped in, holding up a hand as if to demonstrate.

“Yes, they did,” Kirk’s communicator went off, “Kirk here.”

_ “Security team is beaming down to your coordinates, sir.” _

As she said that, just a few yards away golden lights flickered into existence, “Yes, I see them. Thank you, Lieutenant Uhura,” Once the lights faded, in their place stood six red shirts, “Alright, Spock, ensign, you take the east side with me. Everyone else split into groups of four and spread out. For those of you who just got here, phasers on full stun. No one goes anywhere alone.”

“Aye, sir,” Came the resounding affirmative.

* * *

 

_ Lieutenant’s Log, 4685.6. We searched and searched, for hours, every day, for another three days. We found no survivors and no other signs of whatever killed them besides the numerous traces of unknown elements we have come across. Further analysis has indeed confirmed that we have never encountered these compounds, nor the elements that they are made of. The reason for my collapse is still unknown. Besides that, I’m under the distinct impression that those beings I saw in my dream are the culprits to this genocide. But every second I doubt myself. Was what I even saw real? For now, I will keep my silence, and hope that whatever happened down on Jahannam, does not happen again. _


	5. Act I Chapter V

“Thank you, sir,” Set said as Spock signed off on his report. With a nod, the Vulcan turned back to his station on the bridge, resuming his own calculations. A glance down at his PADD told the Betazoid he still needed the captain’s signature, who – by the looks of it – was not very happy at the moment. With a sigh he made his way over, “Here’s my report on the new elements we found so far, Captain.”

Kirk skimmed over the data, thoughts lightyears away, before signing it, “Very well, lieutenant.”

He took the device back but didn’t leave, piercing gaze on Jim. The captain stared back, a bit unnerved by the lieutenant’s black stare.

“Is there anything else...?”

Hiset worried his lip between his teeth before speaking, “If it’s my place, what are we to do about Jahannam, sir? We’ve been in orbit for a while, and we have yet to find anything.”

“We have just received orders from Starfleet to stop at Starbase 11, several Klingon ships have been sighted there, more frequently over the last few months. The  _ U.S.S. Excelsior _ is staying behind to investigate,” Jim answered curtly.

“That’s it?”

Set frowned a little as Kirk’s jaw tightened, but not in anger at him. It’s obvious he didn’t agree

with the orders, and if the lieutenant is correct in his thoughts, the captain probably already tried to convince the admiralty to change their minds. It’s also obvious they ignored him.

“Unfortunately,” He sighed, straightening his command gold out, “You’re dismissed, lieutenant,” Knowing an end to a conversation when he sees one, Set nodded before turning on his heel and leaving through the turbolift, “Mr. Sulu, plot a course for Starbase 11, ahead warp factor 2.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

 

Set frowned as he adjusted the microscope, blinking furiously to clear his vision. He had spent the rest of his shift trying to analyse the new elements further, but he just couldn’t make head or tails of it. Spock had stopped by to check on his progress, and offered help when it was obvious he was stuck.

Even with a combined effort, they still couldn’t figure out what this was, or what it could do.

“Lieutenant?” Startled, the Betazoid almost knocked his samples to the floor, but managed to save them in time. Yeoman Rand stood there by the door, awkwardly holding a PADD in her hand, “Alpha shift was over twenty minutes ago, what are you still doing here?”

“Is it really?” He asked, surprised at the time. A cursory look at his own PADD and communicator revealed he had no messages from Len, which meant the doctor was also working overtime. He sighed, “Thanks, Janice,” He scrubbed his face with his hands to wake himself up more, but it did almost nothing for him.

“Are you okay, Set?” Janice walked further into the lab, leaning against the counter as she tried to get a better look at him, blonde hair falling over her shoulder, “You don’t look so good.”

“Yeah,” He grunted out, massaging the back of his neck, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired, you know? I can’t figure out these samples and it’s driving me nuts.”

“The samples aren’t going anywhere,” She said, placing a hand on his arm briefly, “Get some sleep; come back tomorrow. They’ll still be here.”

He released a heavy sigh, shoulders heaving with the movement, “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll go do that,” His jaw cracked with the force of his yawn, something that made Janice both recoil in disgust and smile in exasperation, “You’re off shift too, right? I’ll walk you to your quarters.”

“You don’t have to do that,” She said, but waited for him to gather his things and stow away the samples so that they could leave the labs together. With his PADD tucked under his arm and communicator holstered to his belt, he turned to the yeoman.

“Nonsense, I want to,” He smiled at Janice while he offered an arm to her, who accepted it with a mock curtsey. Their eyes easily met, due to their same height, before they giggled between themselves.

“What a gentleman.”

“Only learned from the best,” The lieutenant winked, referring to Doctor McCoy. As they traversed the halls, in no rush to reach their destinations, Set gave Janice a smirk, “Now, what’s new on the grapevine?”

That was all the prompting she needed to go off on a tangent, filling the Betazoid in the ship’s most recent developments among the crewmembers. He was sure most of what she heard was from another’s mouth instead of the source, but it certainly made for some juicy gossip. Like the persistent one about Spock and their Captain, which was the best by far. There were several betting pools in place, though Set hadn’t placed any credits on it himself.

Though, to be fair, he had an unfair advantage to the rest of the crew.

The duo passed by Ensign Tarva, a short Bolian woman from Engineering with a kind face. They both acknowledged with a smile and a nod.

_ Hungry… _

Startled, Set looked over his shoulder to give Tarva a questioning look, but saw nothing other than the swish of her hips as she kept walking in the opposite direction. Janice continued to ramble on, oblivious to his confusion, “Rumour has it that Ensign Chekov is dating Lieutenant Miller, I think it’s cute.”

He shrugged as he turned his attention back to the Yeoman, “It’s always cute when Chekov dates. Have you seen him flirt? ‘Did you know beauty vas inwented in Russia? Da, it really vas!’” Janice tittered at that, trying to subdue her laughter behind her hand.

_ Eat… _

Set nearly stumbled at the proximity of the voice; it sounded as if whoever had spoken was leaning over his shoulder, whispering the word into his ear. He whirled around, slipping his arm from Janice’s when black eyes darted around the hall.

They were alone.

“Set? Are you okay?”

He didn’t answer at first, narrowing his eyes as if the action would bring out the person whispering. Swallowing uneasily, he turned back around, hooking his arm with Janice’s once again, “Uh, yeah. I’m just really tired. Hearing things, you know?”

“You hear things when you’re tired?” She asked incredulously, planting her feet and crossing her arms when they came to a stop at her door, “How much sleep have you been getting?”

He shrugged, looking everywhere but at her, “Enough,” Set narrowed his eyes when he turned back to her, albeit playfully, “Trying to compete with Leonard, Janice?”

“It’s not a matter of competition, merely concern,” She retorted, her posture not shifting an inch, “Last I checked, the two of you shared quarters. That means you share a bed. Which also means he’s aware of how much sleep you get.”

“He’s also to blame for my exhaustion,” He smirked, giving her a flirtatious wink when her lip curled in both disgust and amusement. While he wasn’t telling the truth, he wasn’t exactly lying either, “The man has stamina.”

In reality, when Leonard was knocked out from their activities, snoring away, Set would quietly work on his current assignment. It’s a wonder he’s hardly made any progress on the elements. It certainly didn’t help that, if nothing was actively occupying his thoughts, he’d reflect on Jahannam. The sight of thousands dead was forever burned into his retinas.

“I’m sure Doctor McCoy doesn’t appreciate you sharing your sex life with me, Set,” She said, deadpan. Blue eyes tracked a passing Yeoman, silently challenging the other woman to linger and eavesdrop when she slowed. Nearly squealing in surprise, Yeoman Smith hastened her pace, “Especially when others can overhear.”

“Oh, please,” He scoffed, “I’m sparing you the sordid details.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” She pursed her lips, before breaking into a grin, “And you, mister, need sleep. As do I.”

Knowing an end to a conversation when he heard one, he gave her a mock bow, placing a kiss on the back of her hand, “My lady. I hope you find your evening restful.”

“Set,” Janice lightly scolded while shaking her head, “Good night.”

The door hissed shut behind her, and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, humming under his breath as he leisurely made his way to his room.

_ Weak… _

Set forced himself not to outwardly react. He was just exhausted, nothing more. The voices will go away with a good night’s rest.

And maybe a round or two of mind-blowing sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Next time on Race to the End:_
> 
> For the two years they had been dating, Leonard McCoy could count on one hand how many times he’d ever heard Set scream in fear or pain... Now, he woke up to it every night.
> 
> _Next time on Stellar Abyss:_
> 
> The Enterprise discovers an ancient sleeper ship, the SS Botany Bay, which escaped from Earth's Eugenics Wars in the late 20th century. The genetically engineered passengers, led by war criminal Khan Noonien Singh, seize control of the Enterprise and attempt to destroy the ship.
> 
> After a number of suspicious and horrifying deaths aboard a space station soon after the Enterprise docks, Captain Kirk is suspected of murder.
> 
> After accidentally overdosing on a powerful stimulant, Dr. McCoy becomes unbalanced and disappears through the Guardian of Forever, a newly discovered time portal on a remote planet. Set is, unfortunately, brought along for the ride.
> 
> A world-famous inventor finds himself - and several crew members of the Enterprise - trapped in a virtual reality world of his own creation, he is forced to face off with the insane computer in order to escape.
> 
> A transporter mishap slips Captain Kirk and his companions into a parallel universe, where the Enterprise serves a barbaric Empire instead of the Federation. Separated by space and time, Set and Bones try to find their way back to each other.


	6. Act II Chapter I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Last time on Race to the End..._
> 
>  
> 
> _Set forced himself not to outwardly react. He was just exhausted, nothing more. The voices will go away with a good night's rest._
> 
>  
> 
> Smut warning ahead!

For the two years they had been dating, Leonard McCoy could count on one hand how many times he’d ever heard Set scream in fear or pain. 

The first time had been when Leonard pranked him, who shrieked in fright and then promptly gave him an earful after giving him a good smack over the head.

The second time had been when the Betazoid had nearly shattered his leg in a shuttle crash - a nasty comminuted fracture in his femur that had broken skin and left him in unimaginable pain. Even though the doctor had sported a bad concussion himself and was slipping in and out of consciousness, he still managed to hear Hiset cry out in anguish when the medics had pulled him from the wrecked machinery. It had cut through the haze and straight to the very core of his being, and he knew he never wanted to hear anything like that from his lover again.

The third, and final, time had been down on Jahannam, when he had collapsed to his knees with blood pouring from his nose like an open wound.

Those were the only occasions McCoy had ever heard that terrible sound.

Now, he woke up to it every night.

Ever since the lieutenant had come out of his coma and they had left their orbit around the dead planet, he suffered from night terrors daily. The dreams were so bad that the sobbing wails that spilt from his mouth failed to wake him up.

On the first night, Bones held him as Set trembled fiercely in his arms, a bruise blooming on the doctor’s cheek from where the panicked man had lashed out in his sleep. When they attempted to slip back under and into the arms of the Sandman, the invisible monsters returned along with the screams.

After a few days had passed with fruitless attempts at rest, Set started to put off sleep for as long as he could. It was obvious to Leonard that the mere idea of slumber terrified the redhead. The shadows under his eyes darkened, his posture became less regulation perfect and more slouched, and he became slow to respond.

Kirk had voiced his concerns several times, along with a few other members of the crew. Bones did the best he could to dissuade them from probing, trying desperately to keep his promise to the lieutenant.

“Please don’t tell anyone, Len.  _ Please. _ ”

Eventually, he started giving him hypos to help him sleep. They didn’t do much, which was concerning, but they were better than nothing. After a couple of weeks, the exhaustion became manageable.

That is, until the whispers started.

Well, Leonard wasn’t sure when the whispers really began, but it was only recently that Set confessed that he could hear voices on the edges of his hearing, “I can never really tell what they’re saying. They’re just words, you know? They don’t make sense,” He had said, hands trembling from leftover adrenaline after a particularly bad nightmare, “But they’re there. Talking to each other. And I know the voices are  _ real _ .”

He had nodded absently, mind racing a mile a minute.

McCoy was a surgeon first and foremost, but he was also a trained psychiatrist. Knowing that the Betazoid was hearing conversations - whether he understood them or not - was extremely concerning. Auditory hallucinations could mean a number of things. 

An in depth medical scan crossed off everything biological: encephalitis, brain tumours, lesions…

That left a variety of mental illnesses to pick from, and Lord help them if schizophrenia was the reason.

Bones sighed as he shifted on the bed, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders as if protecting himself from the possibilities.

Set wasn’t the only one having trouble with sleep.

A hand brushed against his shoulder, fingers caressing against the protruding clavicle hidden by his black shirt, “What are you doing up? I thought you were asleep.”

“Can’t,” He grunted, turning back over to look at Set, who was sitting up with his back against the headboard, “Got too much to think about.”

The Betazoid hummed in response, eyes still trained on the PADD in his lap. The blue glow exaggerated the shadows on his face, deepening each line and groove in his skin. If he squinted hard enough, he could still see the recent craniotomy scar barely hidden by red hair.

He looked… older. Worn. Washed out.

“Why don’t  _ you _ try and get some shut eye?” Black eyes trained on him, an eyebrow raised incredulously.

“Are you serious?” Under normal circumstances, the question would have been posed with an undertone of humour, and maybe a small smile on his face. Now, though, that wasn’t the case. The younger male turned back to his work.

That was another thing that changed since Jahannam: their relationship.

Exhausted and irritable, Set had withdrawn into himself more and more. He was quick to anger, and while the doctor hadn’t truly been on the receiving end of his wrath, he had heard rumours among the ensigns working in the labs. Hell, Leonard himself had become more distant, simply choosing to give his lover space because he didn’t know what to do. 

Set had resumed smoking on a regular basis, something that had been a matter of debate ever since they met. Soon after the incident with Khan and his augmented crew, the lieutenant had been trying hard to quit his one-a-day habit. He had been mostly successful until recently.

They also haven’t had sex in God knows how long -  _ he could probably ask Jim, the nosy bastard, he’d probably make an accurate guess _ \- and physical affection was practically non-existent outside of the nightmare aftermaths. To be honest, it wasn’t the sex itself that he missed, but the connection they had that strengthened each time their bodies joined.

Hesitantly, he reached forward with his hand, eyes trained on where the Betazoid’s sweats hung low on his hips. Long fingers just brushed under the waistband when a hand grasped his arm firmly, stopping him in his tracks. Bones’ eyes snapped up to meet Set’s, who was gazing at him intently, an unreadable expression on his face.

“Please,” He whispered, “Don’t.”

Trying to hide how alarmed he was at his tone, McCoy twisted his wrist so that he was holding the broader hand, thumb rubbing over the fine hairs. Set released a shaky breath when Leonard pressed a kiss against his scarred knuckles, “Talk to me,” He murmured against the clammy flesh, “Tell me what’s wrong, so that I can make it better. I feel like I’m not doin’ enough.”

“Oh Len,” Set gasped out. He set the PADD aside to shuffle into a lying position, facing the doctor and giving him his full attention for the first time that day, “Don’t say that. You’re doing more than you know.”

“How? I can’t do anythin’ but watch you waste away before me. Whatever is happenin’, it’s tearin’ you down and I’m helpless to stop it,” Leonard didn’t know where the tears came from, but they pricked at the corner of his eyes. He almost laughed when Set pulled him close to press his lips against his forehead, smoothing the creases there with his touch. McCoy wasn’t the one who really needed comforting.

“You’re my everything,” The hybrid whispered into his hair, “As cliche as it sounds, you’re my rock. My light in this proverbial darkness. My guiding star on these rough seas. Without you, I’d be lost, swept away by the tide and pulled into the never ending abyss, drowning while clawing for air.”

He was right. It  _ was _ cliche. But it was also so, so honest.

“I know I haven’t been the most pleasant to be around these past few weeks, and I’ve tried to keep the worst of my emotions away from you. The fact that you’ve stood so strong by my side for as long as you have means so much to me. I don’t think I can put my appreciation into words, and I’m afraid I haven’t been too good at showing it either,” He continued, “But know that I love you. So much. My  _ imzadi _ . My beloved.”

“Oh darlin’,” Leonard’s voice cracked, “You don’t need to show me that. I know you love me, as much as I love you,” He pulled his hand back only to embrace the redhead, nuzzling his nose into the tanned neck, inhaling the smell that was  _ home _ .

Absorbed in the feeling of belonging, Bones started when a hand suddenly cupped his groin, fingers expertly massaging the clothed flesh there. Although the action was unexpected, his body reacted accordingly, blood rushing south and making his shorts feel tighter.

“Wait, wait, Set-,” The hand retreated, as if burned.

“I’m sorry, I thought that’s what you wanted.”

Light laughter bubbled past his lips, “Darlin’, I always want sex with you. But if you’re not feelin’ up to it, that’s fine. It’s just that merely minutes ago you weren’t interested.”

“A man can change his mind, can’t he?”

All mirth left his face as he cradled Set’s cheeks in his hands, “Only  _ if  _ he wants to.”

The Betazoid worried his lip between his teeth briefly, before surging forward to capture thin lips with his own. He only pulled back to whisper two words in the air between them.

“I do.”

Without hesitation, Leonard crashed his lips against Set’s, teeth clicking together and noses bumping as they clumsily tried to fight for dominance. Their hands roamed over each other’s bodies, tugging insistently at their clothing in a poor attempt to remove them, seeking to increase the contact between their skin exponentially.

The lieutenant nudged the doctor onto his back, thick thighs straddling bony hips as he ground their clothed erections together, the delicious friction bringing all sorts of pleasurable sensations with it. Set tilted his head and arched his back, allowing a deep moan to tumble past his lips, mirrored by McCoy, whose hands gripped the redhead's hips tightly enough to leave bruises. This was almost too much for either of them, both of whom had gone without any sort of sexual contact for weeks.

Bones’ hands travelled up the undulating torso, digits splayed and he found himself grateful for the fact that the younger male liked to sleep without much clothing on. It made it easier for him to map the dips and planes of the abdomen he was already very familiar with, navigating his way towards dark nipples which pebbled under the slightest of touches.

Set’s breath hitched when those fingers ghosted over his flesh, and mourned the loss of the piercings he had removed that morning, “Fuck, Len,” He managed to breathe out before fumbling for the hem of the other male’s shirt, “I want to see more of you.”

Leonard stopped his ministrations long enough to pull the black shirt over his head, exposing his chest to the cool air of their quarters as he discarded the material to the floor. The Betazoid leaned forward to lavish the dip between the collarbones with his tongue, licking a stripe all the way up to McCoy’s earlobe before pulling the soft flesh between his teeth to suck on. Broad hands tenderly caressed the doctor’s chest, fingers tugging lightly at the dark hair decorating his skin.

The thinner man groaned in ecstasy, hands searching for the other’s backside in order to firmly knead the flesh there, “God, I missed this.”

Set hummed as he made his way down Leonard’s body, lips, teeth and tongue worshipping the skin before hovering over the large tent in his shorts. Deft fingers that spent hours upon hours working hard in the labs tugged gently at the material, guiding it gently over the erect member that waved in his face once freed from its confines.

He kept his hands firmly planted on writhing hips, knowing all too well that his lover always got impatient at this part. Smirking, he nuzzled the patch of hair at the base, breathing in the heady scent before planting teasing kisses along the shaft, causing Leonard to choke on his spit when swollen lips wrapped around the head, “Feels so good, darlin’,” He panted, hips moving but going nowhere underneath the other’s grip.

Bobbing his head, he gently scraped his teeth along the underside while hollowing out his cheeks, taking in more and more of the member each time. He groaned as he snuck a hand into his sweats, stroking the heated flesh in time with his head’s motion.

McCoy reached down to run his fingers through Set’s hair, before grasping the locks firmly, stopping the man’s ministrations, “I-I’m not gonna last long like this,” Tongue darting out to lick the salty precome from his lips, the Betazoid pushed his pants off his hips, throwing it haphazardly off to the side.

Clumsily, they joined in a drunken kiss and Leonard could taste himself on the other’s tongue as they ground their hips together, their skin slick with sweat and saliva, “Fuck me, Len,” Set gasped out when a hand reached between them to pump both of their throbbing erections, “I want to feel you inside me. I want to feel it for days.”

That was all the doctor needed to flip the both of them over, taking control in their new position and using this opportunity to lavish the lieutenant’s body. He reached blindly for the bottle of well used lube in the bedside drawer, fumbling with the cap with one hand. He knew they were going pretty fast, but there’d be plenty of time to truly enjoy each other later.

Right now, they just needed to get this out of their system.

Esero breathlessly laughed when the cool substance was circled around his entrance, the ring of muscle twitching spasmodically when a long digit pushed in, quickly followed by two more. He bit back a moan as those fingers dragged against the walls of his heat, stretching him and sending sparks of pleasure up his spine. Black eyes remained half-lidded and trained on McCoy, who was biting his lip in concentration as he focused on preparing him. Reaching up, Set pulled him closer in a fumbling embrace, saliva-slick lips seeking out that sweet spot behind Leonard’s ear. Fingers pressed against his prostate in response, forcing a dry sob from his throat, “ _ Please _ ,” He begged, “I need you.”

“Turn over,” Leonard huskily drawled, his tongue darting out to lick over the shell of his ear. Set nearly whined at the loss when fingers withdrew from inside him, propping himself up on his knees and pressing his chest against the mattress.

A groan rumbled in his throat as he was entered roughly, fingers nearly tearing at the sheets when an almost punishing pace was set, the sound of slapping skin filling the air. Teeth dug into the pillow smashed against his face as he pushed back in a similar rhythm, the dull pain heightening his pleasure to an almost unbearable degree as he sought to find that perfect angle. 

Bones tsked at him when he reached to give his erection some attention, and his hands were pinned above his head while Leonard’s pulled his stuttering pelvis flush against his own for leverage, “Oh fuck, fuck, yes,” He keened, “Just like that, Jesus Christ,” The sensations were overwhelming, and it became harder for him to hold up his weight. Eventually, his legs spread until his flushed cock was pressed between himself and the bed, the rocking of his body creating an intoxicating friction against the sheets. McCoy draped himself over Set, deepening his thrusts and adjusting his angle just right.

After abstaining from sex for so long, Leonard almost forgot what it felt like to be buried in his lover, going at it without abandon. When they were like this, they didn’t have to worry about social etiquette or the rules of living on a starship. They could be in both parts selfish and selfless in their pleasure, giving and taking as they saw fit. 

“So damn tight,” He removed the hand restraining Hiset - who had gripped the headboard instead - to tug at red locks of hair, pulling his head back and biting into the soft flesh of his neck, “I’m gonna fuck you ‘til you can’t walk.”

Set released a particularly loud moan in response, and the doctor was sure the whole ship could hear what they were up to at this point.

“And I’m gonna do it again, and again, and again,” Each word was punctuated with a sharper snap of his hips, which left Set scrambling to hold on as breathless gasps rushed past his lips in time with McCoy’s thrusts, “‘Til  _ this... _ ,” An even harder thrust pushed Set forward on the bed and had his eyes rolling skyward, babbling incoherently, “... is all you remember.”

Managing to stay balanced, he freed a hand and turned his head enough to pull Leonard’s mouth to his own, breathing the same air as his lover and the both of them swallowing each other’s wanton moans.

It may have been a while since they had  _ copulated _ , but it had certainly been even longer since they’d done it like  _ this. _ With nothing but raw need between them and all inhibitions are thrown out of the airlock.

When McCoy finally nailed the bundle of nerves nestled within Set, nothing could hold back his scream as his orgasm caught him by surprise. He bore down around the thick cock, his semen painting the sheets pressed against his length as he rode out the aftershocks of his climax, eyes clenched shut and jaw slack. Overstimulated, he jerked when he felt Leonard’s semen fill his heat after a couple of desperate thrusts, hips stuttering in their pace before stilling entirely. Leonard moaned and spasmed with each burst, fingers twitching against his lover’s hip.

Set whimpered when Bones eventually pulled out, come leaking down the soft flesh of his inner thigh as his entrance clenched at the loss. The Betazoid didn’t move from his prone position as McCoy dropped onto his back beside him, both of their chests heaving from exertion and eyes closed in the afterglow. The two of them were covered in sweat and all manner of fluids, and the corners of Set’s mouth glistened with saliva.

“Remind me why we stopped having sex again?”

“You tell me, it’s not like I know.”

Leonard gingerly turned on his side, throwing a thin leg over Set’s thicker ones, “Let’s stay in and call sick tomorrow,” He repeated the words from merely a month ago, eyes searching Set’s relaxed face in the darkness. Dark eyes fluttered open, and a genuine smile stretched his lips.

“I’d like that.”

Cuddling closer together, they both fell into a dreamless sleep in soiled bedding, deeply sated and content.

Screw those nightmares. And those voices. They had this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The craniotomy scar will be explained in the _Mirror, Mirror_ remix that I will write at a later date


	7. BONUS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The walls of the _Enterprise_ aren't as thick as they seem...

Lieutenant Rosi’s head made an audible thud against the floor when he nodded off, for what must have been the eighth time. Groaning in pain, Anda rubbed at the sore spot, causing the wires in his hand to shift back into his line of sight. Again. He cursed.

“How many times have I told ye to be alert when ye come ta engineerin’?” The chief engineer’s brogue suddenly cut through the crewman’s tired haze, surprising him enough to nearly knock his head against the bottom of the computer console, where he should have been soldering some disconnected wires together.

“Sorry, sir,” Anda said, rubbing at his eyes to hopefully waken himself up. It didn’t work.

“I don’ have much ta do, all of my reports are filed for the time bein’. Let me help ye stay awake, lieutenant,” Scotty grunted out when he made his way to the ground and onto his back, shuffling closer to help hold the pesky wires out of Anda’s way.

“Much appreciated, thank you, sir.”

The Scotsman merely hummed at first, before continuing, keeping a watchful eye on the lieutenant’s actions, “So what’s got ye so tired?”

Rosi shrugged before turning on the soldering iron, being careful not to make any sudden movements with the hot tool in his hand, “Just had trouble sleeping, is all, sir.”

“May I ask why?”

“You don’t want to know why, sir.”

“Hm…”

…

…

…

“Seems the doctor and Lieutenant Esero have worked out their problems.”

“I noticed, sir.”

“Really? Is it tha’ obvious?”

“My quarters are next to theirs, sir.”

“Oh.”

…

…

…

“ _ Oh. _ ”

“Yes, sir.”

“You poor lad.”

“I agree, sir.”

…

…

…

“Were they loud?”

“...Unusually so, sir.”

“How long did tha’ last?”

“I’d rather not talk about it, sir.”

“Understandable.”

…

…

…

“How many times?”

“ _ Lieutenant commander.” _

“Alrigh’, sorry.”


	8. Act II Chapter II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this chapter is a little shorter, the next couple of chapters should make up for it.

When he woke up the next morning, Set had expected it to be to lips between his shoulder blades and hands caressing his sides. He’d crawl out from under the covers with the ship’s doctor by his side, and maybe go for round two in the sonics.

He didn’t expect to wake to the sound of the klaxon alarm.

Then again, not everyone can get what they want.

“Shit,” He cursed, falling out of the bed in his hurry to get up. Leonard was in a similar state of disarray, the two of them cringing when their dried fluids pulled at their skin. Stitches could be heard snapping as they rushed to pull on their respective clothing under the flash of red lights, the shrill alarm wreaking havoc on their ears.

“Lieutenant Esero to the bridge!” Uhura’s voice crackled through the speakers, Chapel’s following immediately afterwards requesting for McCoy’s presence in Medbay. They spared each other a glance before pecking the other on the cheek, speeding out of their shared quarters and headed in opposite directions.

Set was sure he nearly knocked over Janice in his rush to get to the bridge, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel too bad. The red alert on the  _ Enterprise _ was more common than most ships in the ‘Fleet, but it was actually rare for his presence to be required on the bridge.

Something must  _ really _ be wrong.

“Bridge,” He huffed out once he reached the turbolift, hand gripping the handle in his sweaty grasp.

_ Must survive… _

Esero gasped, whirling around, the source of the whisper invisible to him. He didn’t expect to really see where it had come from, but this was the first time he had ever clearly heard what those voices were saying.

He inhaled sharply when a pain - similar to what he experienced on Jahannam - lanced through his skull, forcing him to his knees. The turbolift halted in its progress when his hand fell away from the handle, and the drab interior of the lift bled away into the dark bridge of a shuttle.

A Klingon ship, if memory served him correctly. Outside the worn glass, he could see the starbase the flagship was ordered to protect, the lights flickering dangerously as the power surged within.

What was he doing here? Set tried to glance down but found he had no control over his own body.

“Veqlargh vItu'?” Klingon spilt past his lips when he brought bronze fingers -  _ not his own _ \- to stroke his moustache -  _ where smooth skin should be _ . Of the Klingon he knew, the word ‘demon’ popped out at him. The world tilted on its axis as he involuntarily turned in his seat, armour -  _ not science blues _ \- rubbing together at the motion.

“HIja' HoD,” A Klingon woman to his right grunted out, crosses strong arms over her chest, “ Chay' jura'?”

Steely resolution not his own flooded his being, and he straightened in his seat, “Duj yIqem tlhegh puS 'ej Hoch wej qul,” A round of whoops and war cries sounded around the bridge, “ Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam! Sto'vo’kor loS!”

Set wanted to scream at them, to tell them that this was a terrible idea, but he couldn’t get the body he possessed to respond to his wishes. He was helpless to watch as their ship - hopelessly small compared to the writhing mass before them - confronted the ‘demon’. It was like something out of a holovid, this small crew fighting this creature against all odds, their weapons exploding in flashes of brilliant light and fire. This was the part where the good guys - doesn’t matter if they’re Klingons - succeeded. The protagonists overcome the villain, and suddenly everything is alright.

But the weapons were having no effect as the beast closed in on them, the distant light of the stars disappearing behind its form.

They were doomed.

“yoD tInwI' !”

“cha'maH-vagh vatlhvI'-DeS, Som HoD!”

They didn’t even have a chance.

With a cry, Set was forced back into his own body, slamming against the wall of the turbolift as if he had been shoved. Whimpering through the pain pounding in his skull, he pulled himself up while gingerly cradling his head, feeling as if the very floor had been swept from underneath his feet.

He could still hear their screams, and the agony that had enveloped the captain’s body as the creature had crushed the ship, as if it were made of foil. But that was almost drowned out under the crippling realisation that it was real.

_ All of it was real. _

Every dream, every whisper, everything he had seen or heard in the past month had been real. Every night he saw as this…  _ thing _ devoured ships and bases, planets,  _ children... _

And he had done nothing to stop them. 

As he held onto the handle to set the lift back into motion, he forced himself to swallow the bile back that was threatening to rise. He, somehow, knew what was happening to all of these people. He  _ knew _ , but he didn’t act.

He knew it was already too late for the people of Starbase 11.

And the sight he was greeted with upon exiting the turbolift only confirmed this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very _very_ rough translations:  
>  _Veqlargh vItu'_ \- Have we found the demon?   
> _HIja' HoD_ \- Yes, captain.  
>  _Chay' jura'_ \- What are your orders?  
>  _Duj yIqem tlhegh puS 'ej Hoch wej qul_ \- Bring the ship closer and fire everything (I think... I can't remember)  
>  _Heghlu'meH QaQ jajvam! Sto'vo’kor loS!_ \- It is a good day to die! Sto'vo'kor awaits us!  
>  _yoD tInwI'!_ \- Shields down!  
>  _cha'maH-vagh vatlhvI'-DeS, Som HoD!_ \- Hull at twenty-five percent, Captain!


	9. Act II Chapter III

“To your station, lieutenant,” Kirk ground out between clenched teeth, hazel eyes set on the swirling mass devouring the remains of the Klingon shuttle. The blood drained from the Betazoid’s head as he stumbled to his station next to Spock’s.

“Bozhe moi,” Chekov whispered in horror, frozen at the sight before them.

“Commander Spock?” Set hissed, “Is it made of what I think it’s made of?” His own fingers were flying over the keys of his console, analysing the data that was streaming in from the ship’s sensors.

“If you mean to ask if this creature is made of the unknown element we discovered approximately one-point-three-two months ago, you would be correct,” The crease between the Vulcan’s slanted brows deepened, “The probability that this is the force that killed the twelve billion inhabitants of Jahannam is high.”

‘ _ 98.6% match _ ’ flashed ominously at the lieutenant, the blue numbers casting a contrasting hue on his face against the red of the alarms.

There was a 98.6% chance that this is the thing that destroyed the beings on Jahannam, but it might as well have been a 100% chance.

“What is that, Captain?” Uhura’s voice trembled with fear, muffled behind the delicate hand over her mouth.

“I don’t know,” Jim frowned, before a look of resolution overcame his features, “But we’re going to try and stop it. Mr. Scott, ready phaser banks.”

There was also a 98.6% chance that - should that being’s attention be turned on them - they would all perish as a result of the attack.

“Captain, we must stop the ship!” He gripped the console tightly when an explosion from the starbase shook the ship, legs nearly giving out from under him as his balance was thrown. He kept his eyes trained on his captain, however, “Whatever this is, it was what destroyed the population on Jahannam, sir!”

“He would be correct, Captain,” Spock voiced, his voice unsurprisingly controlled despite the situation, “They seem to be made of the same compounds as that we found on the planet.”

Set found himself nodding vigorously in response, despite the gravity of the situation.

“I am not stopping this ship, lieutenant! We need to save those people!” Kirk’s determined gaze did not waver from the viewscreen, his white knuckled grip on his chair refusing to relent when - again - the ship shuddered under the onslaught of Klingon ship debris.

Outside, the black mass swallowed the base, and a cacophony of screaming and fear shrieked within his consciousness. They were  _ dying. _

“It’s too late for them, sir!” He placed himself in front of the older male, arms thrown out to the sides as if Set could hide their ship, “We must turn this ship around!”

No one saw Spock reach for his communicator, discreetly calling for their CMO. Set’s hair was in disarray, and his eyes were wide and wild.

Jim’s face flushed hot in anger, leaning to the side to peek around the insistent Betazoid merely a foot from him, “I will not! You keep this up, I will see you in the brig for mutiny!” The rest of the bridge crew stare unabashedly at what’s happening before them, speechless and at a loss of what to do, “Scotty, ready phaser banks!”

“No!” Set leapt forward, grabbing Kirk by the forearm, halting the man in his tracks. Several of the crew present cry out in surprise. Lieutenant Wei, one of the security officers with the misfortune to be posted to the bridge that day, stepped forward, hand already hovering over the phaser at his hip. He stopped his advances, however, when his captain raised a hand in warning.

“You will unhand me this instant,” His voice was dangerously low, with an undercurrent of urgency. If Set continued to stall, any hope for survivors would be non-existent and the mystery being would escape.

Of course, that was Set’s plan. Not that Jim knew that.

“You cannot provoke an attack from them, you will destroy this whole ship!” When Set’s grip tightened, and Kirk winced slightly in pain, Wei made a grab for Esero. Doctor McCoy chose that moment to come onto the bridge, medical pouch clutched tightly in his grasp as he froze, just having witnessed his lover deck his own crew mate hard enough to send him to the ground

“Set, stop this madness!” Bones managed to cry over the crew’s panicked shouts, making himself seem as small of a threat as possible. It did nothing to help the agitated Betazoid.

_ This is not enough, we must have more! _

At the creature’s anger, Set felt a sharp pain - not unlike a pick ax hammering away at his skull - flare within his mind, causing him to readjust his grip to Kirk’s shoulders, keeping himself upright and the captain restrained at the same time. 

Bones’ eyes darted between Set and Spock, in which the latter was slowly, but surely sneaking up behind the panicked man, hand ready to deliver his famous nerve pinch.

“You don’t understand. None of you do!” Set didn’t notice the blood that started seeping from his nostrils, not even when the liquid entered his mouth and stained his teeth, the taste of copper dancing across his tongue. No, he had to get Kirk to see it his way.  _ He was just trying to protect them! _

“Mister Spock!” Chekov cried out, and all attention is drawn to him, “Ze... Vatever is vas... It’s gone, sir!”

The sigh of relief that escaped Set’s lips felt immensely out of place in the tense atmosphere, the lights of the alarm still flashing and casting them all in a red light. A moan of pain swiftly followed as he slipped to the floor, Kirk barely supporting him, “Bones!” 

The doctor didn’t need to be told twice as his tricorder whirled away, blue eyes searching Set’s pinched face, whose gaze was focussed on something beyond them.

_ More... Must have more... _

“His brain waves are all over the place, I can’t tell why!” As soon as the words leave his mouth, Set comes out of it with a sharp inhale, all traces of pain gone from his face, “Are you okay, Set?”

The redhead opened his mouth to answer, but Kirk quickly plowed through, red with anger, “Your actions have cost the lives of hundreds of people, lieutenant! I want an explanation. Now.”

Raising a sleeve up to wipe at his face, removing most of the blood, Set brought himself up to a shaky stand, “With all due respect, sir, you wouldn't believe me if I told you,” And Kirk wouldn’t, really. Set himself hadn’t yet come to terms with what just happened, nor with what he had discovered in the lift, “I’m sorry, sir. But you’ll just have to believe me when I say that what I did was necessary.”   


Kirk drops his hands as if he was disgusted with Esero’s actions - which, honestly, would not have been surprising in the least, “Uhura, send a transmission to Starfleet. Tell them what happened here, and what caused it. Get a security team down here to bring the lieutenant to the brig. Wei, Giotto, I trust you can keep him restrained until then.”

“But, captain…” Uhura whispered in shock, her hands hovering over the controls and uncertainty in her eyes. Fear crossed Set’s features when Wei pulled his hands behind his back, effectively preventing the use of his arms. Lieutenant Commander Giotto wasn’t far behind with a pair of cuffs in his hand, slapping them onto his rapidly bruising wrists as he struggled.

“Just do it,” Jim continued, jaw clenched tight, “I’m more than disappointed in you, lieutenant. I expected better.”

“I was doing what I had to do to protect you!” The words left his mouth in a shriek, tugging against the hands attempting to pull him towards the turbolift, “Damn it, you don’t get it!”

Throwing his head back, Set broke Wei’s nose with a sickening crunch, who released him in surprise. He kicked at Giotto, but the man simply caught his leg and threw him to the ground, straddling the prone male and using his weight to pin him there.

No matter how much he struggled, the security officer was an immovable force, and if tears of frustration threatened to spill, he wouldn’t say.

“I was just trying to save the crew,” He whimpered, trying to free his legs when Wei managed to get a hold of them, “Please, try to understand.”

He flinched when he felt a sharp pinch in his thigh, fatigue instantly fogging his brain. It took a lot of energy to turn his head. Leonard was standing there, eyes wide and guilty while his hand clutched a hypospray tightly.

It was empty.

“Len?”

“I’m sorry, darlin’.”

Then black enveloped him.

* * *

 

When he woke, it wasn't like that stereotype where he was confused and unaware of what happened. He remembered  _ everything _ .

The first thing he did when he opened his eyes was stare at Leonard, who was seated by the biobed he was currently restrained to. Betrayal coiled in his gut when he remembered his  _ imzadi _ had stuck a sedative into his system, subduing him so he could be hauled off the bridge like some common criminal.

“Why?” The doctor whispered, looking unconcerned with everything. But Set  _ knew _ . He knew the man still cared, and that he was concerned for him.

“We would have died if I hadn't,” Was all he said, coughing around the dryness in his throat. Bones made no move to ease his discomfort, pursing his lips as the vague answer, “Why did you drug me?”

“What did you expect me to do?” He sighed, allowing himself to slouch over and place his face into his hands, “I've never seen you that volatile, before. I don't know what happened, exactly, but I didn't want a repeat of our incident with the Guardian.”

Despite how nervous he felt, his lips twitched into a wry smile. They both still mourned Edith, but would often recall the interesting conversations they had with her.

“I guess that makes sense,” He gratefully sipped from the straw that was finally offered to him, sipping at the cool liquid and bringing sweet relief for his cotton mouth. When he finished, he went to say more, but Kirk decided to storm in at that moment, Giotto and Spock on his heels, “Captain-.”

“You will not speak,” He hissed, nose scrunched in distaste, “You have a lot to answer for, lieutenant.”

“But-!”

“No 'but’s! Doctor McCoy, how is his health?”

“H-he’s just fine, Jim,” He stuttered out, unused to having Kirk's wrath turned upon him, intentionally or not, “Can we get these restraints off of him? They're not necessary.”

“Sure, Bones,” Kirk said, sarcastically, “We’ll upgrade him to the higher security ones in the brig.”

“You can't be serious!”

“Deadly, doctor,” Set's heart sank. His captain rarely acted so angry, and that's when he knew he had truly fucked up in Kirk's eyes, “Lieutenant Esero, you are being charged for assault against a fellow crew member, assault against a superior officer, mutiny, and manslaughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The City on the Edge of Forever_ remix will be posted at a later date, detailing Bones' and Set's interactions with Edith Keeler


	10. Act II Chapter IV

“Now hold on just a second, Jim,” Leonard started, arms crossing tightly over his chest, “This is Set we’re talking about, he never does anything like this without a darn good reason.”

“Be that as it may, Doctor McCoy,” He flinched at the detached, clinical tone that was so unlike his captain, “It was due to Lieutenant Esero’s actions that the people on Starbase 11 have perished,” Kirk’s lip curled back in distaste when he finally spared a glance to the restrained male, who stared back at him with wide, teary eyes, “His conduct cost the lives of dozens of individuals. Individuals with families back on Earth, might I add.”

“And those actions may as well have saved hundreds more! Every member of this crew has a family back on their homeworld too, you know. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but people died, Jim,” Bones’ voice raised a few levels, catching the attention of the few nurses in Medbay, who promptly cleared out at the beginning signs of an explosive argument, “We can’t save everyone that needs our help!”

“We can damn well try, Bones!” The captain barked back, fists curling at his sides and skin flushing red for what might've been the millionth time that day, “Because of your  _ lover _ ,” The word was spat in his face like it was disgusting, “Those people never got the fighting chance they deserved. And I personally believe that you’re too blinded with your relationship with him to see his actions for what they are. Pure cowardice.”

“You  _ dare-. _ ”

“They were lost before we even got there,” Set’s near-hysterical voice cut in before Bones could erupt in fury, “My actions were not out of cowardice! I  _ know _ we couldn’t save them, and if you’d let me go, I’d be more than willing to explain why,” He winced when he tugged at the restraints in question, the skin underneath quickly chafing against the black nylon, “Even though I don’t think you’d believe me, sir.”

“There is nothing, and I mean  _ nothing _ , you could say to me that would change my mind,” Jim hissed at him, “For you to think that was even a possibility would mean that you’re either delusional or overconfident in your abilities as a liar.”

“What about the truth?” The Betazoid pleaded, chin trembling, “Why can’t you consider the possibility that I would only tell you the truth? Do you really have such little faith in me?”

Spock spoke up for the first time since arriving, hands still clasped firmly behind his back, “If I may, captain,” Jim forced himself to take a calming breath in case he took his aggression out on his first officer. With a nod, he gave him permission to continue, “Lieutenant Esero has proven in the past to be an honest and loyal member of this crew. As his commanding officer and his friend, the least you could do for him before exacting punishment is to listen to his explanation. While his decisions were ones I personally do not agree with it, there is only so much one can do when faced with the idea of certain death.”

Jim huffed, teeth audibly grinding against each other as he considered the Vulcan’s words, “Fine. Giotto, release him, but put some cuffs on him immediately. We’ll use your office for this, Bones,” With that, he turned on his heels and marched into the CMO's office, shoulders stuff, “Come on, Spock.”

The Vulcan gave them all a nod before following his commanding officer.

Set hissed when his wrists were finally freed, the skin rubbed raw and finger-like bruises a deep purple, “Let me run a regenerator over that before you put the cuffs on him, please,” Leonard gingerly lifted the Betazoid’s arm, carefully examining the abrasions to his skin.

“I'm sorry, doctor,” Giotto said, looking genuinely apologetic, taking Set’s wrist as gently as he could as he snapped the cuffs on. Set inhaled sharply in response, “But orders are orders.”

“It's fine, Len,” Set gave him a shaky smile, “I've had to deal with worse,” He shrugged when he was escorted to the office.

“You shouldn't have to in the first place,” McCoy grumbled under his breath, grudgingly following behind the two. Jim was sitting in his seat when they entered, arms crossed and a dark look in his face while Spock stood behind him, stoic as usual.

“Alright, lieutenant,” He wasted no time in starting, “I'm giving you this one chance to explain yourself. One chance, and if you haven't managed to convince me that I shouldn't press charges, I suggest you expect your new quarters to be in the brig. I honestly don't see how you can persuade me to understand why the needless sacrifice of hundreds was necessary.”

“Yes, sir,” Set muttered, eyes cast down to his feet. Silence fell over the small group as he tried to find the right words to say, fingers tapping the metal of his cuffs in a nervous rhythm, “It started in Jahannam, sir. When I went into a coma.

“While I was unconscious, I… saw something.”

“Saw something?” Jim asked, incredulous, “And why am I only hearing about this now?”

“I didn't think it was a cause for concern, sir,” His cheeks coloured in shame, feeling as if he had been negligent in his duty as a Starfleet officer, and perhaps he was, “I didn’t think they were real, and maybe it was because they were so horrific I just didn’t want to believe them. That they were just nightmares.”

“ _ Nightmares? _ Plural? As in, more than one? How often?”

“Captain-.”

“ _ How often? _ ”

“Every night.”

The muscle in Kirk’s jaw popped as he turned to Bones, “Did you know about this, Doctor McCoy?”

Leonard swallowed harshly, sweat beading along his brow, “Yes, Jim.”

“My crew seems to think it’s okay to keep secrets from me now!” Kirk threw his hands in the air, exasperated. While his head was facing Spock, it was obvious that the statement was rhetorical, “Should I bring charges against you too? How about criminal negligence and medical malpractice? You’ll lose your license for that.”

McCoy’s face paled considerably at those words, eyes widening. Jim wouldn’t really do that, would he?

“No!” Set’s panicked voice shouted as he moved in front of Bones, as if he could protect him despite his cuffed hands. There was no way he was going to let his  _ imzadi _ take the fall for him, or face the consequences for his choices, “No, I’ll take full responsibility.  _ Please _ don’t do that. As far as he was aware, they were just dreams and I made him promise me not to tell  _ anyone _ . That’s on  _ me _ , not him.”

“Set…”

“Fine,” Jim said vehemently, effectively cutting off whatever Leonard was going to say, “But this changes nothing. If you had acted, you could have saved many lives!”

“No, sir, I would not have. Nothing can destroy it. You don’t think others have tried? I’ve watched so many people attack it with everything they had, and everything has failed. Phasers, photon

torpedoes... It doesn’t matter! This thing destroys because it’s hungry. And it won’t stop until it’s satisfied.”

“And  _ how _ \- exactly - do you know it’s not satisfied? That it’s not hungry?”

He worried at his lip, unsure if he should reveal the answer to that. He knew the saying, though: in for a penny, in for a pound. Besides, he’s kept enough secrets as it is, “Because I can hear its thoughts.”

“You can what?” McCoy nearly shouted in surprise, “You never told me this!”

“Because I didn’t know until today, Len!” Set scowled over his shoulder, brows drawn together in irritation. Turning back to his captain, he continued, “Up until today, it was just words. They didn’t make any sense on their own, they were just… words. I thought I was hallucinating-.”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Kirk finally shouted, slamming his hands against Leonard’s desk, the forceful action knocking a couple of loose data chips to the floor, “This is ridiculous, I’ve heard what I needed to hear. Giotto, take him to the brig.”

“Wait-!” Set pulled against the security officer’s grasp, “I’m not lying!”

“Captain,” Spock tried to say, a look of worry flashing across his face, “I don’t think-.”

“Jim, no, you can’t! He’ll catch an infection down there, and you  _ know _ his system is compromised. He could die if he contracts somethin’ and I can’t treat it!”

“Then heal his wrists and send him on his way,” Jim stood abruptly, stalking closer to his friend, “Clear your mind, and let me do my job. He needs to be punished accordingly for his actions, and I won’t hesitate to throw you in there right next to him if you continue.”

Bones opened his mouth to continue, but a voice, that echoed  _ within  _ their heads, cut him off.

“That will not be necessary, James Kirk.”


	11. Act II Chapter V

With the sudden appearance of these translucent beings, the officers present were quick to go on the defense, jumping to their feet and hands instinctively going for where their phasers would normally be. Instinctively, Set placed himself between the closest one and Leonard, warily eyeing the tall, featureless creature.

As they were without any distinct facial characteristics, it was hard to tell who or what they were regarding. But Set had the sneaking suspicion that the one he was facing, slightly shorter than the other four humanoids, was focused intently on him.

“Who are you?” Kirk demanded, knees slightly bent and eyes darting between the five of them, either ready or itching for a fight, “How did you get on my ship?”

“Peace, James Kirk. We mean you no harm,” Their relaxed body language did not change, but the colourful lights within their bodies glittered like crystals. Both Spock and Set stiffened when the presences in their head made themselves known, the creatures telepathically communicating with them, “To answer your questions: we go by many names. Choose to call us what you will. There is no place we cannot go.”

“Please explain your intentions,” Spock asked, cool as a cucumber for all intents and purposes.

“It has come to our understanding that you would like an explanation for recent events. We are here to offer what you seek.”

“You’re  _ them _ ,” Set whispered, the pieces falling into place, “Omnis, is what it calls you.”

“What?” Bones hissed at him, tugging at the lieutenant’s blue sleeve. He ignored him.

The tallest of the alien group, presumably the leader, turned towards him, its head tilted to the side, “You have heard it speak?”

“Yes,” He stuttered out, “At least, I think so. I’ve been hearing voices, and they’ve mentioned these beings called Omnis on occasion, when they weren’t deploring their hunger,” Set refused to look at either his captain or McCoy, who were both staring at him with a mixture of confusion and anger, “You  _ are _ the Omnis, right?”

“Indeed,” One of the others said, and Set was getting a headache trying to keep track of them, “Interesting that you can hear what it is they think, as that was not our intention when we gave you your dreams.”

Hearing that was like someone had poured a bucket of ice water over him. He took a compulsory step back, and probably would have fallen if Leonard hadn’t placed a steady hand between his shoulder blades.

“ _ You _ gave those nightmares to him?” The doctor ground out through clenched teeth, “Do you even know what that’s done to him?”

“No,” The tallest spoke again, “Nor is it our concern.”

“Not your-,” The CMO spluttered, but Set stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“You said you came to answer our questions,” At the being’s nod, Set continued, “Do you have names as individuals? So that I know who I am addressing?”

“As you wish. In your language, the closest translation of my title would be One,” The leader said, before gesturing to the rest of them, in descending order of height, “This is Two, Three, Five, and Four,” They all nodded in greeting.

“Why did you pick me?” Set suddenly asked, feeling small and exposed before the tall Omnis, “Of everyone on this ship and in this universe, why me? What makes me so different?”

“That’s something I’d like to know,” Kirk crossed his arms with a dark look on his face, one that promised hell if he didn’t get his answers.

Three ignored the captain’s comment, “There is nothing that sets you apart from the others. We understand that these are the words you do not want to hear, as it has been observed by our kind that your species must always know the reason 'why'. However, it is not an answer that we can give.”

For possibly the millionth time in the last twenty-four hours, Set felt like he could cry. His emotions boiled just under the surface, threatening to overwhelm him and he was willing to do anything to put a stop to it.

“Then why give him the visions to begin with?” Kirk’s initial anger at the Betazoid seemed to have turned on the visitors for the time being, “Are you trying to manipulate him into doing your bidding? How do I know that you’re not controlling him?”

Giotto sent an alarmed look Set’s way.

“We bestowed upon him the information, what he has and will do with it, has and always will be of his will,” Two said, somehow sounding serene within their minds, “We do not directly interfere with the happenings of other species. It is not our way.”

“What you’ve done to Set is some pretty direct interference, so forgive me if I don’t believe you,” McCoy stepped forward, puffing out his chest in an attempt to look intimidating. But the doctor was much too thin and small compared to the tall beings in the room.

Whether the Omnis couldn’t argue with his point or simply decided not to waste their time wasn’t clear, but nevertheless, not a single one spoke in response to that.

“If that will be all you feel you need,” Three started, bowing its head to them all, “Then we will take our leave.”

“You do not feel it prudent to give us more information?” Spock managed to speak before they could leave as mysteriously as they had appeared, “As Starfleet officers, it is our duty to eliminate anything that poses a threat to the Federation, should we come across it. This creature that knows you is killing on a global scale, and is attacking Federation planets. If you know how to destroy it, or at the very least contain it, it would be wise to tell us.”

“Perhaps-,” Four started, but One quickly interrupted its subordinate with a wave of its hand.

“We cannot,” And Set knows he’s never seen Spock bristle as much as he did at the moment, “That violates our vow. We uphold with the same vigilance as you do with your Prime Directive. All that we can tell you is that Hiset Esero was correct when he said your weapons will do nothing to Zweathi, the creature you encountered.”

“Be that as it may, we have made exceptions for the Prime Directive in the past, I do not see why you can’t do so now.”

One’s body flashed brightly in irritation, “It violates our vow. That is all that needs to be said,” And with that, they all vanished with little fanfare.

“God dammit!” McCoy kicked at the leg of his desk with a shout, loud enough in the relative quiet to cause Set to flinch at the sound, “Those glittering, glowing, bastards…”

“Cursing won’t bring them back, Bones,” Kirk sunk back down into the CMO’s chair with a sigh, rubbing at his temples. He finally looked up at his Betazoid officer, his shoulders heavy with guilt, “I owe you an apology, lieutenant. I shouldn’t have treated you the way I did, you were only thinking about the crew,” He took a deep breath before continuing, “To be frank, I would have done the same with the same information you had at your disposal.”

“And  _ I _ would have done the very same in your shoes, sir,” Set gave him an uneasy smile, “I can’t blame you, nor fault you for your reaction,” He went to raise his hands in a placating gesture, but the movement forced a hiss past his lips when his cuffs pressed into the abrasions on his arms.

“For God’s sake get over here Giotto and take these off of him!” Leonard plucked a dermal generator off his shelf and cradled Set’s wrists gently in his calloused hands. The security officer made quick work of the metal encircling his wrists, easily cowed by the doctor’s irritation. The tight lines of Set’s face eased when the pain ebbed away, the irritated flesh disappearing under the treatment of the regenerator, “There, that’s better,” Leonard cooed softly.

“Thank you, Len,” Set sighed in relief, leaning in to place a gentle kiss upon the doctor’s cheek. 

But he turned away from him.

He was sure the hurt was tangible on his face, as Giotto and Kirk both coughed at the sudden rise of tension in the room, before the captain stood abruptly, “It’s, er, obvious you two need to talk amongst yourselves,” Giotto left the room promptly, and Kirk gestured for Spock to do the same.

“Captain, should we first contact the admiralty? Whatever they must speak about, it can wait.”

“We will contact them in when we leave, Mr. Spock,” Jim ushered him towards the door, “Neither of them need to be present for that. Go on. Whenever you two are done, I’d like to speak to you in private, lieutenant.”

And like that, it was just the two of them.

“Len?”

"Why would you keep something like this from me? About the details of your dreams?" Set almost wanted to say he didn’t keep anything from him, but he did, in the end. He never revealed what he saw in his visions save for when he was in his coma.

"Oh, Len..." He sighed, "I didn't think it was real; I didn’t want to. I thought I was going insane. And I know you thought so, too."

"Even if that was true," McCoy said, anger bleeding into his features, "You could have told me. You could have trusted me! Now  _ I  _ can't trust you, because lord knows what else you've hidden from me."

"You don't...?" Set’s eyes burned at that, "How dare you?"

"How dare I?" Rage made his words harsh and sharp enough for the Betazoid to flinch back, "How dare you! In case you've forgotten, we're in a relationship. That means we share, and we trust in each other!"

"It's not that I didn't trust you, dammit!" Set yelled, and the sudden change in volume took McCoy aback, "I was so damned scared of what was happening! I didn't know if I was going insane, or if something was trying to attack me! But I do know was that you were my safe haven; where I felt protected. And I didn't want to ruin that!

“I took so much comfort in your arms, because I knew you weren’t tainted by what I saw. It’s obvious to me now that you have no idea how much that meant to me!”

"Oh darlin'," Leonard’s face softened at that, his anger fading into regret, "I'm - ."

"No! Just forget it," Set didn’t know when he had started crying, but he wiped at his face nevertheless, turning to leave the CMO’s quarters. Before he walked through the door, he felt it necessary to throw one last scathing comment over his shoulder, "Just for the record, I've never lied to you about anything before all of this happened. But since you don't trust me, I don't expect you to believe that."

Leonard watched as Set paused just outside the door when it shut behind him, his shoulders sagging after releasing a deep sigh. When he was finally out of view, the doctor dropped down into his seat and placed his head into his hands, stricken with guilt, "Oh God, I'm sorry," The argument itself didn’t even make sense to him, he didn’t even understand why he was so mad at Set to begin with!

This whole situation was just so confusing, but even he could recognise that it might not even be enough of an excuse for the way he just acted.

“I’m so stupid.”

* * *

 

Set took a moment to compose himself, smoothing the wrinkles of his uniform shirt and clearing his face of any remaining tears, before knocking on his captain’s door. He had received many strange looks from passing crew members, but thankfully none of them commented on his obvious emotional distress.

However, that didn’t mean Jim wouldn’t. It would take all of the luck in the universe for him not to notice.

“Enter,” Came Kirk’s muffled voice, and the Betazoid let himself in. The captain was seated at his desk, typing away furiously at his PADD. When the man finally looked up at him, he had a warm smile on his lips, a far cry from his earlier rage, “Take a seat, Set. I want to formally apologise to you for my behaviour.”

“No, sir, please-,” A raised hand interrupted him, so he dutifully took his seat across from Jim.

“Set, we’re in my quarters, it’s just Jim,” His smile waned, however, when he took in Set’s red eyes and nose, “I… take it your conversation with Bones didn’t go so well.”

“No… it didn’t,” Set admitted, “I’m not really sure if what we argued about even made sense to either one of us. We were both confused and angry, and I think we just took it out on each other.”

Kirk frowned at that, “You two have gotten into arguments before, but I’ve never seen you cry because of them.”   


The Betazoid didn’t speak at first, pursing his lips and staring intently at the hands folded in his lap, “Len said he doesn’t trust me anymore.”

“Oh…” Jim’s face twisted in sympathy, and Set almost hated it, “I’m sorry.”

“‘S not your fault,” He shrugged, “Besides, I don’t blame him. At the moment I was offended that he’d even imply that I would lie to him, but that’s basically what I did, didn’t I? I kept my visions to myself, and this whole time he thought I was just going nuts. A lie of omission is still a lie, after all.”

“Do you need me to talk to him?” Set wryly laughed at that, shaking his head at the suggestion.

“No, but thank you. We can figure this out on our own. I just… think we need some space right now, to sort out our own thoughts and feelings about everything.”

Neither said anything for a time, just sitting in silence. It was when Set sniffled quite pathetically that Kirk decided to speak again, “Look, Set, I’m being serious when I say that I owe you an apology. I know you understand that I felt you were a threat to the safety of my crew, but you aren’t just one of my lieutenants. You’re also my friend, and I should’ve given you the benefit of the doubt before condemning you as I did. You’re a good man, who doesn’t do anything drastic without a good, strong reason. I should’ve known that at that time and taken it into consideration. I hope you can forgive me for my actions.”

Set gave him a small, gentle smile, “Jim, there’s nothing to forgive. Really. But I appreciate the gesture,” Jim heaved a large sigh of relief at that, leaning back in his chair and folding his hands in his lap. 

“Thank you, but I’m afraid the admiralty has some… pressing requests they want me to deliver to you.”

Set raised a brow at that, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk between them, “Requests? Are you sure you don’t mean demands?”

“Quite right,” Jim chuckled, before quickly sobering, “They want you to get more information from the Omnis.”

“They do know that we have no way of contacting them, right?”

“Yes, and I told them that. They were understanding to a point, but they want me to make sure that’s all you do on this ship,” He pushed his PADD toward the lieutenant, who read it with a blank look on his face, “I just transferred this to your own PADD. Essentially, they want you to be pulled from all other projects and to make gathering intel on this… Zweathi your top priority. By any means necessary.”

Set made a low noise of disgust before shoving the device away from him, “It’s not going to be fun, that’s for sure.”

“It’s often been proven that the necessary things aren’t.”

“Wise, as always,” The Betazoid nodded before standing, straightening his uniform with a quick tug, “If you’ll allow me, I’m going back to my quarters. I’m exhausted, and I’d rather get my nightmares over with sooner rather than later.”

“You don’t need a place to sleep do you?” Jim stood as well, “Bones doesn’t seem the type to kick you out but one shouldn’t assume. Or should I expect  _ him _ to come by my quarters for a place to crash?”

“No, we’re fine. We’ll just sleep awkwardly next to each other for a while,” Set accepted the warm hug Kirk offered, burying his face into his captain’s shoulder and muffling his voice, “Thank you, Jim.”

“Of course. After all, what are friends for?”

When Set made it back to his shared quarters, McCoy had just stepped out of the shower, water dripping from his hair and a towel wrapped around his waist. He felt his mouth go dry at the sight, for more reasons than one. Neither of them met the other’s gaze as they performed their nightly rituals, slipping under the cool covers without a word.

They slept with their backs to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Next time on Race to the End:_
> 
> It was cold. So very cold. 
> 
> The frigid, thin air around him burned his lungs and brought tears to his eyes, snow biting into his naked flesh. The fact that he was somehow in this frozen wasteland without clothes on was less concerning than the fact he couldn’t remember how he got here.


	12. Act III Chapter I

It was cold. So very cold. 

The frigid, thin air around him burned his lungs and brought tears to his eyes, snow biting into his naked flesh. The fact that he was somehow in this frozen wasteland without clothes on was less concerning than the fact he couldn’t remember how he got here.

Everywhere that Set turned, trudging in the snow that reached up to his knees, he could see nothing but a blinding white. Ominous shadows far in the distance stood tall, imposing in their height.

“Where am I?” He asked himself, the words hardly reaching his ears over the howling of the wind.

“That will be revealed to you soon, Hiset Esero,” A voice echoed around him, somehow louder than the surrounding environment. Turning around, he stared up at the tall Omni before him, its blank face silently regarding his nude form.

“Four?” 

It nodded, before turning away from him, “Follow me. There is something I must show you,” Set struggled to catch up with the being’s long stride, his body wracked with violent shivers.

As they continued walking, a cave emerged from the snow, the entrance taller than the two of them combined, “Where are your friends?”

Four hesitated before the mouth of the cave, before turning to the Betazoid, “The others do not know I am here. I break our sacred laws with what I am about to show you,” At Set’s confused look, it continued, “Zweathi must be destroyed, but One’s decision to censor pertinent information from you and your crew will not allow that. Things must change now, and it became clear to me that I must be the one to make that change,” It continued forward.

Set stumbled when snow gave way to freezing stone, his feet making soft padding sounds against the rock, “Th-that’s great,” He stuttered, stuffing his hands under his armpits, “But why here?”

The Omni didn’t spare him a glance as it continued to explain, “Back in our space - a separate reality, if you will - the Omnis and The Dark Ones were the strongest races that existed. However, we were always at war with each other. But it was a struggle between equal powers, one of our own died, a part of Zweathi died,” The duo turned down a narrow tunnel, Set’s breath condensing in the air in front of him, “We could not foresee that Zweathi would discover a device that would enhance its powers.”

“What sort of device was this?”

“We do not know its intended purpose, or where it came from,” Four stopped in the middle of the tunnel, turning to face the wall, “What we do know, however, is that with this device, Zweathi was able to magnify its abilities. We were not prepared, and we could not stop it from devouring everything in its path. Our home… their home… Everything was destroyed.

“But this,” A long hand gestured to the the wall, “While this was their making, it can also be their undoing.”

Set couldn’t bring himself to verbally express his sorrow for the Omnis’ plight, refusing to take his eyes off of the metal cylinder embedded into the ice.  _ The answer to their current problem was right here…  _ It was obvious to him the artefact was once a brilliant gold, but now it was dull and rusted, the intricate designs along its sides worn down from time and age. His fingers passed through it when he reached to touch it, “How does it work? How did it even get here?”

“All we know is that a telepathic species can wield it. As for its current location: when we slipped from our… reality, into this one, timing separated us across centuries. We entered the tears between universes first, and have been here for millennia. The artefact followed soon after. Zweathi, on the other hand, came through mere minutes later, but here it would be many, many centuries. It is the only reason why it has appeared to you now,” Four turned its head sharply, as if it had heard something in the distance, “I wish I could offer you more, Hiset Esero. But I am afraid I have run out of time. Find the artefact, destroy Zweathi, this you must do.”

The Betazoid panicked when his surrounding faded into a blinding white, the wind battering his body once again as he felt himself slip away, “Wait! Four!” He could barely hear himself over the howling wind, his voice sounding muffled and far away to his own ears, “I don’t know where ‘here’ is! Four!”

And then he was falling, falling,  _ falling… _

_ Delta Vega, is where you must go. Hurry now, I fear you may be running out of time. _

* * *

 

Leonard inhaled sharply as he woke with a start. Being awoken so abruptly left him disoriented and confused, so he rubbed furiously at his eyes, trying to clear away the last hazy shreds of fatigue. It was a harsh movement that had awoken him, and a frown stretched his lips.

Sometimes Set twitched in his sleep, something that was common for most humanoids anyway, so the doctor was glad to know the Betazoid had made it to bed that night.

He settled back down for sleep…

That was, until the bed started shaking violently with the force of Set’s convulsions.

“Set!” McCoy shot upright, rolling the seizing officer over onto his side, “Set, can you hear me?” He made no outward sign that he had heard the doctor’s frantic voice, his eyelids fluttering and hands curled into fists. Panic gripped him tight in the chest.  _ Think McCoy, think!  _

He couldn’t afford to lose his head now. He may not know what brought on the seizure in the first place, but he could damn well see Set through it safely.

A quick glance at their clock helped keep track of the time as he reached over to their nightstand, activating the comm system as his other hand was firmly pressed against Set’s artery, the strong, but inconsistent  _ thud thud _ of his pulse reassuring, “I need a medteam to my quarter’s now!”

Chapel’s voice could be heard over the speaker, shouting out orders as M’Benga spoke to him. Leonard didn’t need to see it to know there was a red light flashing on the other end. It wasn’t currently their shift, so they must’ve stayed late to file last-minute reports. And he was mighty grateful for that, “What’s the situation, doctor?”

“It’s Set. He’s convulsin’ violently. Unconscious. Elevated heart rate. Possibly elevated blood pressure. Tonic-clonic seizure.”

“How long?”

“About a minute and a half now,” McCoy did his best to tear at the neck of Set’s sleep top, the last thing he needed was for him to choke to death, “And countin’.”

“The team will be there as soon as they can; keep an eye on that clock, Leonard,” M’Benga let his first name slip, but the CMO could hardly fault him at the moment, “You know the drill. They’ll administer the proper medication if the convulsions persist by the time they arrive. Just hang in there.”

Another minute passed before the team were rushing through his door, and that minute felt like an eternity. Set’s convulsions had ceased on their own, but now he lay there completely unconscious, boneless in McCoy’s arms. Leonard felt his own heart rate cease its frantic beat, his panic giving way to an unsettling concern.

Set didn’t wake until they gently lifted him onto the gurney the team had entered with, his glazed eyes darting around before settling on the doctor. He let out a whimper, too exhausted to form words.

“Sh, darlin’,” McCoy stumbled to his feet, careless of the fact he was rushing down the evacuated halls of the ship in nothing but his sleep shirt and boxers. He remained focused on the man in the gurney, his hand gripping the railings tightly in his grasp, enough for his knuckles to bleed white, “We’re gonna check on you in Sickbay, okay? You just had a seizure,” There was no use sugarcoating what had happened, despite being exhausted beyond measure and not-quite responsive to his surroundings, Leonard knew that Set was perfectly aware of the situation.

“Ngh,” Set grunted out, obviously struggling to lift his hand enough to grab at Leonard’s closest hand. It felt like the gentlest of brushes to the doctor, “J…” His eyes rolled in his sockets when he struggled to keep them open.

“Hush now, we can speak later,” They were pushing him through the Sickbay doors now, Chapel joining his side to prepare the transfer to a biobed in one of the private rooms.

“G...get,” Set huffed, tears of frustration prickling at the corner of his eyes, “Jim.”

“We'll get Jim once we check you over,” McCoy grunted as he helped lift the Betazoid onto the biobed, arms straining only a little under his weight, “We need to know what caused your seizure.”

“No,” He managed to push out as vehemently as possible, his limp arms twitching in an attempt to push away the tricorder in his face. All the limbs did was flop around on the sheets, “ _ Now. _ ”

“I'll call the captain, Doctor. It's no trouble,” Nurse Anderson said from his left, a folded pair of scrubs and a white coat in her grasp. She pushed them gently into his hands, “You have your back-up pair of shoes in your office, go change and then check him over. Chris can get started for you.”

Anderson was the head nurse for shift Gamma. And while she wasn’t always under his direct command - any normal person working on Alpha would be asleep at this time - he had worked with her during emergency surgeries on occasion. Efficient, intuitive, and someone’s judgement he should trust.

“Thank you, Anderson,” With one last look to Set, who was trying hard to stay awake under Chapel’s gentle gloved ministrations, he slipped into his office to change.

* * *

 

Hearing that one of the officers under his command had just suffered a grand mal seizure in their sleep was like a stone settling in the pit of his gut. Hearing that officer was his friend was like being shoved into a frozen lake. The two feelings combined made for a very uncomfortable, and fearful James T. Kirk.

Immediately after getting the call that had woken him from his slumber, Anderson’s voice gentle as she delivered the concerning news, he had sprung from his bed and thrown on the closest uniform he had, not bothering to make sure it was even on right.

Deep down he knew that Esero was doing alright now, and that his convulsions hadn’t lasted long. But there was always a reason why someone had seizures, right? Epilepsy? Damage to his brain? No, he’ll leave the diagnosis to the doctors on this ship.

The sight he was greeted with upon entering one of Sickbay’s private rooms was an exhausted looking Bones with a PADD tucked under his arm. He looked small in the scrubs the nurses had given him, and extremely vulnerable as his hands cradled Set’s, who was currently on the very brink of sleep.

“Set?” Kirk called softly, making his way over to the side of the biobed. The Betazoid struggled to turn his head towards him.

“Jim,” He mumbled, “We… we need to,” Forcing words out seemed to be an almost impossible struggle for him.

“Set, this can wait,” Bones gently said, “You need your rest.”

“ _ No _ ,” He growled, determined to deliver whatever message he planned on delivering, “Zweathi. It can… be stopped,” Jim and Bones both perked up at that, “There’s a device…”

“Where?” The captain leant forward, eager to hear his answer. He was vaguely aware that he may have been pushing Set too hard at the moment, but this was groundbreaking news that honestly couldn’t wait, and it was only now that he understood Set’s urgency to speak right  _ now _ .

“Delta Vega,” Set managed to say, slumping back into his pillows once the words were spoken, “Ice cave… Four told me. I want to be there… When you go down.” 

“There is no way I am lettin’ that happen,” McCoy scowled at him, “You just had a seizure, you’re exhausted. Just… just sleep, darlin’, okay?” Finally, Set’s eyes slipped shut as he gave into sleep, his breathing evening out and the lines of his face smoothing.

Kirk was already at the comm near the door, “Helm, how far away are we from Delta Vega?”

Their newest navigations officer, Mwangi, responded immediately, “Just a three hour flight at warp four, captain.”

“How about warp five, ensign?”

Her confusion was audible through the speaker, “It… should shorten the flight to two hours, sir. Which should be just long enough for the ship to hold up.”

“Good, set a course for Delta Vega at warp factor five. Go over our previous scans of the planet and find any caves you can, conduct more if you have to when we arrive.”

“Aye, sir.”

Set blinked furiously when he woke three hours later, a grimace on his lips when a pounding headache made itself known. The conversation from earlier slowly trickled back to him, and he clenched his jaw. He  _ had _ to be on that away team. Jim didn’t know what he was looking for, and he certainly didn’t know how to use it.

But he couldn’t escape on his own.

“Set!” Scotty entered the private room, relief clear on his face, “Thank goodness you’re alright.”

“Just the man I wanted to see,” He croaked out, “Are we at Delta Vega?”

“Aye,” The Scotsman pulled up a chair, “Last I checked, the bridge is scannin’ the planet.”

“Good,” Set pushed himself up with great effort, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He made sure to turn off the alarms on the machine, the last thing he needed was a furious doctor on his hands.

“What are you doin’? Set, should you even be up?”

Should he? No. He could feel the fatigue in his bones, and he knew just how dangerous his seizure could have been.

_ Hurry now, I fear you may be running out of time. _

Right, there would be time later to rest and recover. Now, though, he had a mission.

“Scotty, I need your help. Please.”


	13. Act III Chapter II

Sneaking out of Medbay was something Set did not plan on doing  _ ever _ again. Having never attempted something like this before, he never really noticed how many people actually were working during Alpha shift. There had been the occasions where he’d fill in for a sick nurse if it didn’t conflict with his schedule, but the staff population seemed to have escaped his notice.

Speaking of escaping…

Trying to slip past the numerous individuals in Medbay wasn’t exactly the hard part. It was avoiding Leonard’s detection, snatching the necessary equipment for Delta Vega, and preparing his back-up plan that was hard. 

Of course, like Leonard mentioned every now and again, he could do anything he put his mind to. 

But the relief was hard to keep off his face when he entered the Transporter room, Kirk and Spock immediately turning to the newcomer, “Lieutenant!” Jim said, obviously surprised. He eyed the winter garb that Set wore, “I see you came prepared. I thought Doctor McCoy didn’t want you to come.”

Trying to act as nonchalant as possible, Set shrugged, “Len realised he couldn’t keep me there. Nothing’s wrong with me, so he let me go.”

Spock’s dark eyes gazed at him intently, and if he didn’t know better, he’d have thought that the Vulcan could tell he was lying through his teeth.

“Well, I guess that’s a good thing then,” Jim seemed to have bought it, and Set felt himself relax a little, “Now we won’t have to waste precious time searching for this device.”

“Yes, sir,” Stepping up onto the pad, Set allowed himself to share a look with Scotty, who was looking at him with those sad eyes of his, “It’s okay,” He mouthed to him.

Earlier, he had the engineer sneak in the clothing necessary for the cold planet. The two of them had set up a contingency plan, in case everything went south. He figured it was like a condom, it was better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

“Energise, Mr. Scott.”

As their bodies were broken down molecule by molecule, Set felt a pang of regret. He didn’t know what would happen when they got down to the planet. They could be successful, and everything will go off without a hitch - which seemed very unlikely. Or, they could perish in the freezing wasteland, and he was leaving without telling Leonard goodbye. There were so many things that he wanted to say to him, so many things… but there was no time.

So when they finished beaming down in snow and ice, he steeled himself for what lay ahead, taking a deep breath and drawing his shoulders back.

* * *

 

Leonard hummed to himself as he made his way towards Set’s private room, scrolling through the data Chapel had sent to his PADD. The brain scan that Anderson had taken immediately after Set had fallen asleep had shown that the Betazoid’s brain activity was slightly elevated, but was steadily decreasing back to normal.

They concluded that Set’s little conversation with the Omni had heightened the speed at which his mind worked, which had overwhelmed his system and led to his seizure. Luckily, there was no damage to be found. In fact, there was new activity being recorded in the telepathic centres of his brain, which seemed to have been ‘unlocked’, for lack of a better term.

Set would love that.

“Alright,” McCoy started as he crossed the threshold into the room, still analysing one of the many scans on his PADD, “I’m gonna let you go back to our quarters to rest some more. I know how hard it is for you to sleep in Sickbay sometimes.”

He had expected a ‘well isn’t that thoughtful of you’ or even an ‘I need to be down on the planet, Len’. But all that met him was silence.

“Set?” And he finally looked up.

The PADD shattered when it fell to the floor, the soles of his shoes screeching against the floor as his coat billowing behind him in his urgency, fear constricting his heart like a vice.

The biobed was empty.

“Where is he?!”

* * *

 

“Alright, lieutenant!” Kirk shouted over the howling wind in order to be heard, pulling his goggles down over his eyes, “We beamed down in front of the only cave entrance the ship’s scanners were able to find! Lead the way!”

“Aye, sir!”

Carefully picking their way through the snow that reached their knees, the trio entered the cave as quietly as possible, not wishing to disturb whatever creatures may slumber there. The trek towards their destination was silent, and what felt like hours were mere minutes.

And then there it was.

It was just like in his vision. The artefact was cylindrical in shape, its metal casing rusted with age. However, despite being lodged into the walls of the ice for millennia, the metal was warm to the touch. It felt surreal to imagine such an ordinary looking device could save the universe as they know it.

“Is this it, lieutenant?” Kirk’s voice nearly made Set jump out of his skin in fright.

“Yes, sir,” It didn’t take much to extract the device from the ice surrounding it and it came away with a resounding crack that bounced off the walls. As he held the item in his hands, pain flared behind his eyes like an inferno. He gasped sharply.

_ They’ve taken it! _

“Esero?” Kirk’s hand grasped his shoulder but Set shook it off, panic distorting his features as he turned to the two of them.

“They’re here!” As the words left his lips, the cave trembled with tremendous force, unintelligible screeching echoing through the tunnel.

“Mr. Scott, three to beam up!” Spock shouted into his communicator, struggling to drown out the loud sounds. All he received was static.

“There must be too much interference!” Kirk yelled, brows furrowed, “Let’s move and get out of this cave!” No one needed to be told twice when the black smoky mass of Zweathi rounded the corner of one of the many tunnels. Taking off at a speedy sprint, Esero pulled out his own communicator with his free hand, the other clutching the device tightly. Both Kirk and Spock were using their phasers to stall the already weakened creature.

“Scotty? Scotty, do you read?” Still nothing but static, but not all was lost as Set could see the exit up ahead, snow blowing in from the raging storm outside, “Scotty!”

Zweathi was right on their tail and the Betazoid could feel its tendrils tugging at his uniform, the material decaying under its touch. He knew what he needed to do.

“…I’ve finally got a lock on the three of ya, lieutenant!” Scotty’s voice crackled through the static, sending bittersweet relief through his chest.

“Take me to the stars, Scotty! I need to see those stars!” As they tore through the cave entrance, they dove behind a large rock, hiding their presence temporarily. Set wasted no time in stripping his winter garb, revealing the space suit underneath.

“What are you doing?” Kirk shouted over the howling wind, hands shielding his eyes from the biting snow.

“Are you sure, laddy?”

In the background, he could hear Bones shouting, “What does he mean by – what do you mean by that, Set?! You get your behind back here!”

“Damn it, Scotty, just do it!” When the science officer punched the button behind his ear and activating the helmet, understanding dawned on Spock, who reached out to grab him with fear on his face.

“Lieutenant-!” He disappeared with a golden light along with the captain, his voice cut off. 

Just as the metal finished encasing his face, he felt the familiar tug of the transporter. In no time at all, he was glimpsing stars instead of ice and snow.

_ Follow it! _

The anger he could sense from the black mass down on Delta Vega flashed hotly through his mind, causing him to inhale sharply.

“Lieut… can… read?” His captain’s voice stuttered through the damaged speakers of his helmet. A couple of hits to the side helped right it as he floated freely in space, “Lieutenant Esero, can you hear me?”

“Yes, sir,” He gasped out, chest still heaving from exertion of the chase.

“What do you think you’re doing? I’m about ready to have Mr. Scott thrown into the brig because he refuses to beam you back aboard.”

“I’m sorry sir, but you know the ship can’t outrun Zweathi,” He said. Through the visor of his helmet he could see a dark cloud slowly, but surely, make its way from the surface of the planet and to his location, “I’ve gotta do this.”

“Set, you get your ass back on this ship right now,” Bones voice cut off Kirk’s protests. He could hear the fear in his voice, and the ball in his chest tightened more, “That suit isn’t meant for prolonged flights in space, you know that.”

“I don’t intend on being out here long, Len,” Set remarked. He winced when he realized how damning his answer was, but it was true, “I’ve got this.”

“No,” McCoy whispered, “No goddammit! You can’t!”

“Lieutenant!” In the background, he could hear the other crew members on the bridge voicing similar protests.

Choking on his tears, he tried to keep his words level, “Len, I want you to know something.  Okay? And I want you to listen to me.”

“Don’t talk like that, you’re going to come back. You have to.”

“Just listen,” he pleaded, his voice cracking, “I would have loved to spend the rest of my life with you: every single second of every single day.”

“You’re coming back! You said you would. You promised me!” McCoy’s voice was thick and hysterical with emotion.

“Esero you will not sacrifice yourself! I will not allow it!” Kirk said, anger in his voice when panic took hold.

“I can’t,” Set whispered, “There’s no time, I  _ have  _ to do this.”

“No, Set,” Set didn’t notice when the Enterprise’s doctor started to sob, but he could hear his hiccups now over the speakers. His skin itched where tears fell, “No, please…” 

If he didn’t do something now there'd be nothing to stop the end of everything. Any apologies would be insufficient. He groaned when Zweathi’s formless mass started to wrap around his body, its very essence seeping into his suit… into his body… shredding his soul and tearing away at his consciousness. 

“Len,” His whispered as he closed his eyes, focusing his mind on the cylinder in his hands. 

In his thoughts, he could see soft smiles and feel gentle touches. Sweet nothings were whispered in his ear and he sighed at the ghost of lips across his skin. He could feel those late mornings under the sun, fingers tracing faces and hesitant breaths taken in fear of breaking the peace. 

He remembered delicate laughter exchanged between lips as they pressed together over and over again, sharing an intimacy they had never shared with another.

He remembered entwining fingers with ones as calloused as his own, thumb brushing over the fine hairs on his hand and sending a tickling sensation up his arm.

He remembered the feeling of being held late in the night, strong arms keeping him safe in their embrace. And he remembered returning the favour, holding close the only person who meant everything to him.

Remembering Leonard was all he needed to activate the device.

“I love you,” Set whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * He figured it was like a condom, it was better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. - _Inspired by a line in Aliens Vs Predators_


	14. Act III Chapter III

Never had Leonard thought that death and destruction could be so beautiful. As a doctor, it was something he fought to prevent almost every single day, trying to preserve life to the best of his abilities. However, watching as a bright light lit up within the monstrous mass before them, their ship’s phasers eating away at its form until it exploded in a wave of blue energy, he came to appreciate it.

The sighs of relief and the cheers of the bridge sounded around him, filling the air as if they hadn’t almost died just seconds before. At the celebratory gestures, Jim allowed a small smile to curve his lips, and even Spock’s face seemed to soften in its rigidity.

But the knot of dread and fear in his heart didn’t disappear.

_ Len, I want you to know something. Okay? _

“Transporter room to Captain Kirk,” Scotty’s brogue cut through the din, silencing nearly everyone in the room.

“Captain Kirk here, go ahead, Mr. Scott.”

“I was able to get a lock on the lieutenant’s signal, sir.”

_ And I want you to listen to me. _

McCoy was already in the turbolift before the engineer could finish his sentence, heart racing and pulse thrumming. A cold wave swept over him, raising the hair on his arms as he willed the lift to move faster.  _ Please let him be okay, oh God please. _

_ I would have loved to spend the rest of my life with you. _

He was off like one of those old fashioned bullets, bowling over rejoicing crew members and cutting through tight groups in his haste to reach the transporter room. 

“Doctor?” Christine shouted after him when he rushed by, confusion warping her features. He didn’t spare her - or anyone else for that matter - a glance. To him, they didn’t exist as people. They were distractions, obstacles standing in the way of his goal.

_ Every single second, of every single day. _

Uneasy laughter wasn’t what he heard when the door hissed open, nor awkward conversation. Scotty’s assistant gave him a long stare when he froze in the doorway, momentarily weighed down by the tension in the air. The Scotsman was kneeling on the pad when he came in, the red of his shirt stretched tight over a curved spine. Large hands hovered over the body before him, but not quite touching, as if a single graze would shatter everything. The engineer stood immediately, turning to him with glistening eyes, “Doctor,” He choked out.

_ I  _ have _ to do this. _

The figure wasn’t moving.

“Set?” It came out barely more than a whisper, voice unsteady as he ignored the shaking man, hesitantly kneeling before the body on the floor. Gently, he eased his lover onto his back, practiced hands ghosting over the dead circuits of the suit. His chin trembled when he pressed his palm against were the heart should be, feeling nothing. Maybe the suit was too thick, “Darlin’?”

The Betazoid’s face was hidden from him behind scorched glass, dark soot coating the inside just enough to make it impossible to see any discernable features. Trembling fingers pressed against small buttons nestled along a strong jaw, the helmet detaching with a hiss.

_ I love you. _

* * *

 

Jim heard the cry of anguish just as he and Spock stepped out into the hall, the chilling sound quickening their pace and halting almost everyone in hearing range in their tracks.

The sight of Bones cradling Set’s body, rocking back and forth as he brushed singed red hair out of a blank face was something Kirk didn’t want to find upon entering. The older man was sobbing without abandon as he gazed into unseeing black eyes, pleading with the corpse to breathe and that ‘I love you too, my God I love you so much, please come back to me’. Scotty was standing over them like a guard, head bowed and hands clasped in front of him

Any hope of reviving the lieutenant was promptly torn apart upon seeing the black veins spreading from his blue lips, the signs they had come to associate with Zweathi’s victims. There was no coming back from that.

Hiset Esero was dead.

Kirk knelt before the grieving man, reaching forward to close Set’s blank gaze.

His skin was still warm.

“Why’d he do it, Jim?” Leonard whimpered, not even turning from the body in his arms, “Why’d he have to go and get himself killed?”

A pale hand was placed on the doctor’s hitching shoulder, who glanced up at its owner. Spock  regarded him with an intense gaze, face unguarded in his sorrow, “Because he loved you,” Those few words brought a fresh wave of tears to McCoy’s eyes as he buried his face into Set’s chest, pulling his lover’s corpse closer to his body.

“It’s not fair,” Jim muttered, swallowing thickly to prevent tears of his own from falling. Reaching forward, he pulled his friend into an embrace, both of their bodies acting as a shield. Almost as if they could protect the dead man between them, “None of it is.”

“Life,” Spock’s voice cracked, and he cleared his throat before continuing, “Is seldom fair.”

Scotty’s assistant cried out sharply in surprise.

“It is unfortunate that this has led to his death. But ultimately, it was a necessary sacrifice to stop the Dark Ones.”

Those present bristled at the intrusion, before turning to the source. The five Omnis now stood where they hadn’t been before, their featureless heads almost brushing the ceiling lights. The last time they had seen them, their bodies did not give away their emotions. This time however, the smallest of them all was slouched over, the stars in its body dim.

“How can ye be so cold?” Scotty hissed, crossing his arms as he placed himself between the grieving men and the glowing aliens, “The lad is dead, and he wouldnae be if ye hadn’t given him the visions in the first place.”

“It was a necessary sacrifice,” One repeated.

“Yet, it is something you can reverse, is it not?” The Vulcan ground out, removing his hand from the doctor’s shoulder, “You are omnipotent beings, you have the ability to give life when it is lost.”

Leonard’s head snapped up at that, eyes wide, “You can?”

“We will not,” One’s telepathic voice spat vehemently, and they all winced in response. The crystalline structures in its body darkened until its whole being was nearly stormy, “We - the last of our kind - vowed to remain neutral in all conflicts. Reviving your deceased lover will not only break that vow, but disrupt the natural order as well. Pulling a soul back from the Void requires yet another sacrifice. I am not prepared to trade one of my kind for an insignificant life, nor are  _ you _ prepared to lose another member of your crew,” Scotty gasped at the blatant disrespect, while McCoy recoiled as if struck, tightening his hold on Set. Spock’s hands tightened behind his back, green blood pooling in his palm where his blunt nails pierced his skin.

Jim felt his body flush hot with anger, “Insignificant?!” Spittle flew past his lips in his rage, fist clenched so tight his knuckles were white, “Hiset’s life was -  _ is  _ \- not insignificant! After all that you and your friends have put him through, he deserves this second chance more than anyone,” He stood abruptly and took a menacing step forward, not at all cowed when One mirrored him, “I can’t claim to know your culture, but in ours, giving up your life to save another without hesitation is the highest honour. 

“It seems to me that you use your precious  _ vow  _ as an excuse to do as you please. In fact, you broke that oath the moment you chose my lieutenant for your burden, all because you were too much of a  _ coward _ to do it yourself.”

The other Omnis glanced at each other, taken aback by the brazen human. Furious, One raised its arm as if to strike Kirk where he stood, but another crystalline hand intercepted, “Captain James Kirk is correct. We owe it to Hiset Esero for the sacrifices he has made as a result of our actions, especially since he perished at the hands of Zweathi. You are aware of what that means. The Void is not a forgiving place. He bore this responsibility because we wished it so. It is our duty to repay him in kind.”

One ripped its arm from Four’s grasp, “And who would willingly give their life for this human?” The question was asked cruelly, as if it didn’t expect anyone to step forward.

Leonard cut in, proving the Omni wrong, “Take mine,” Everyone in the room turned at his voice, but he kept his eyes trained on the shortest Omni, mouth set into a determined line, “You said you need to take a life to give one. Take mine,” He turned back to the man in his arms, hand shaking as he caressed Set’s cool face from eyebrow to jaw with a rueful smile on his lips, “And give it to him.”

“Doctor,” Spock rumbled, brown eyes widening at him at the same time Kirk gasped out ‘Bones’.

“No,” Four interrupted them, “No, Leonard McCoy. I will not exchange your life for his.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Hiset Esero holds a deep love for you, one of the most profound I have seen in mortals for centuries. He could not live with himself knowing you gave yours to resurrect him,” There was an undeniable truth in its words, “His revival would be for nought, in the end,” McCoy’s shoulders dropped at Four’s words, his little spark of hope snuffed out. As desperate as he was to bring his lover back, the idea that Set would be so alone and disconsolate without him there to help him through it hurt.

Leonard couldn’t do that to him.

“However,” Four continued, gracefully making its way towards the duo before kneeling before them, long palms extended over Set’s motionless form, “There is nothing to stop me from offering mine in exchange.”

“I will not allow it,” One went to step forward but Kirk put a hand on his phaser in warning, eyes narrowing, “We are an endangered race, your cessation would be catastrophic for what remains of us.”

“While that may be true,” The shorter being didn’t raise its head, “Zweathi is gone. Our home, is gone. Tell me what should happen should any one of us decide to wreak havoc,” The storm in One lessened in intensity at those words.

“Nothing would keep us in check.”

“Indeed,” Four finally placed long fingers over the Betazoid’s slack face, arranged similarly to a Vulcan mind meld, “We have no place in this universe any longer. Furthermore, who are we to be afraid of death? After all, we never truly cease to exist.”

Three flickered in amusement, “You always were the wisest of us all,” Three knelt beside Four, its own digits extending along the soft flesh of Set’s neck, “However, you will not be successful completing this on your own.”

“Let us help,” Two and Five joined them, their forms glowing brighter when they positioned their hands on his body, “Together we can revive his body.”

Regretful of its actions, One knelt besides Set’s head, replacing Four’s hands with its own, “It would be best if you were to guide him.”

“Guide?” Leonard questioned, teary eyes wide with wonder as he watched these beings gather around him and the man in his grasp. Four walked behind McCoy, long hands grasping his shoulders in a loose grip, “Guide who?”

“You,” Three said, “Your beloved will need someone to call him back from the Void, and who better than the one he holds most dear?”

“I will act as a conduit. You will call for him,” Four stated, fingers digging gently into the thin flesh of slouched shoulders before travelling up to cup both sides of McCoy’s face, “Our success depends on you.”

“It’s safe for him?” Kirk spoke up, looking lost where he stood. Spock had joined him, regarding the group on the pad, “Should this not work…?”

“Should we fail,” One said, “Nothing will change.”

“Doctor,” Scotty said from behind the other two officers, “Bring him back.”

“I will,” He said, staring at Set’s face, glowing even in death from the Omnis’ bodies. 

If he focused hard enough, he could already see the Betazoid up and about, laughing, crying, smiling, scowling, yelling…

“He’s comin’ back to us.”


	15. Act III Chapter IV

He wasn’t sure how long he’d spent peering into the black that surrounded him, its oppressive presence almost suffocating in nature. Time passed differently here, though how, he didn’t know. Seconds here could be years for the living, or seconds there could be years here. Either way, it felt like eternity for him.

Not that it mattered, he was dead after all.

Guilt tugged at his unbeating heart when Set thought about Leonard and how he’s handling - or handled? - his death. He could just imagine the doctor locking himself in their quarters, failing to drink his sorrows away as he stared at their assorted holopics.

And  _ Joanna _ . God, the kid would be devastated. When they first met, they had hit it off like crazy, quickly becoming partners in crime, much to her father’s chagrin. One of his fondest memories with her was the day of her freshman dance. He’d helped her get ready to the best of his abilities, making sure her dress lay just right on her frame and that her hair was perfect. He left the makeup to her, because figuring out the different shades and what matched with what was a lot more difficult than taming the girl’s curls.

_ You killed us… _

Set winced, but didn’t move from where he stood. It was useless to run. 

The Void was a place of Zweathi’s creation, where their victims’ souls went after being forcefully torn from their bodies. It was like an emergency supply of energy for them, and judging by how empty it was when he arrived here, the Dark Ones were desperate when they were destroyed. And since this creature was in the process of separating his soul from his body when the device activated, it got thrown in here with him. There is no escape.

So now he was here. Alone.

With  _ them _ .

When he was still alive, he thought these creatures were barbaric. The way they killed with no remorse or mercy was abhorrent to him. Sure, they were natural predators, but they were capable of feeling emotion on a complex level. There was no excuse for their behaviour.

But that was nothing compared to what they did to him when they were angry.

Personally, he didn’t blame them for the grudge they held. He was sure that if someone killed him and he was stuck with them for all eternity, he’d probably go nuts and try to end his killer… again. Whatever.

His jaw clenched when he felt the burning mass wrap around his nude frame - his clothes having been destroyed long ago due to the assaults on his person - the smell of cooking flesh and muscle permeating the air. He gagged, but kept his mouth shut. Parting his lips would mean the writhing being would think to enter his body, and that always hurt the most. Though, it didn’t alway stop the Dark Ones from finding other ways inside.

_ Meddling mortal… _

Whimpering, he fell to the ground, trying to curl into himself as much as he could. Set wasn’t really sure how more of this he could take. The burning, the tearing, eviscerating, exsanguinating, dismembering… Only for him to heal up and for it all to start again.

Maybe this was Hell. And Zweathi was the devil.

_ “Set…” _

He inhaled sharply in shock, sucking some of the black fog through his nose. Set couldn’t prevent the scream that left his mouth, more of that pitch-dark substance choking him as fire travelled down his esophagus, “Len!” He cried out. How did his lover get here? No, he had to leave, he couldn’t be in this place.

_ “Follow my voice, darlin’...” _

“You can’t be here!”

_ No, you do not get to escape. You are damned. _

* * *

 

“I can hear him screamin’,” McCoy whispered in horror, glowing eyes staring blankly ahead while the Omnis worked hard to bring Set back to life, “Why is he screamin’?”

“Something is holding him there. I believe,” Four trailed off, the majority of its light gathered in its palms, “I believe Zweathi is there with him. This is going to be more arduous than I originally thought.”

“But you can do it, right?”

“Have faith, Leonard McCoy. We will bring him back.”

* * *

 

When the silence followed his screams, he was relieved. That meant McCoy wasn’t in this dark place with him, possibly suffering along with him. Maybe he was hallucinating. It wouldn’t be surprising. He’s been here for so long that insanity seemed like a definite possibility. 

It felt like another eternity before he heard Leonard’s voice again, whispering on the edges of space. 

_ “Set, can you hear me?” _

“Len…?” He croaked out, still recovering from the creature’s most recent assault on his body. The rocking of his body ceased, “Are you really there?”

* * *

 

“He heard me!” A blinding smile stretched McCoy’s lips as one of Set’s eyebrows twitched, signalling life. The black veins in his face receded, and Two collapsed into sand.

“You must not take long. Hurry now,” One urged him.

_ “That’s it, listen to my voice.” _

Shakily, Set forced himself to his feet, knees wobbling with the effort, “How are you-? Nevermind that, you can’t be here.”

_ “I’m not there with you, darlin’.” _

“You’re safe?” He could hear the doctor’s disembodied voice chuckle.

_ “Even in death, you still worry for me.” _

The Betazoid opened his mouth to offer a retort, when a screech echoed around him. He spun in every direction, as if searching for the creature. But what was the point when he could see nothing? “They’re coming, Len. I don’t think I can handle anymore.”

_ “I know, I know. Hurry Set, we don’t have much time. Do you see a light? Anywhere at all?” _

Swallowing thickly, the scent of fear hanging heavy in the air, he turned in a full circle, “I-I don’t see it. Wait…” There, in the distance. It didn’t look like a pinpoint like he expected, but it was certainly much closer than he thought, “Aren’t you supposed to tell me not to go into the light in situations like these?”

A shriek followed immediately afterwards, sounding much closer this time and raising the hairs on his arms.

_ “That’s your ticket out, Set. Now you listen to me and you listen good. You are comin’ back to me, you hear? So I want you to run. Run like you never have before and don’t look back.” _

Any hesitation left his body when he felt the stinging burn against the sensitive skin of his leg. The pain spurred him into action.

_ We will not let you leave! Cease! _

Tears streamed down his face, hitching sobs impeding his breathing, “I’m coming, I’m coming!”

* * *

 

Five dissolved into dust when colour returned to Set’s cheeks, “That thing is right on his tail,” McCoy commented, breathing heavily through his nose when panic took hold, “It can’t come through with him, can it?”

“No, Zweathi is permanently connected to the Void, it cannot separate itself from it,” Four reassured him, “But do not cease speaking, the connection may break.”

Set’s body took in a shuddering breath, and Three collapsed to the floor, its form exploding into a shimmering sand. It was only McCoy, One, and Four now, and One was quickly fading. Kirk and the others had left merely seconds ago, giving them the privacy and silence they needed.

“Make haste. I fear time is slipping away.”

* * *

 

_ “I can tell you’re so close. Come on, darlin’. You’re almost there.” _

_ You are  _ damned!  _ You do not deserve salvation. _

He was surrounded by a blinding white now. He was  _ so close _ , “Screw you and your damnation!” Set panted out, “Len, I see a ledge up ahead. Is that it?”

_ “Yes! Jump!” _

He didn’t need to be told twice. Just as he pushed off with his bare foot, the Dark Ones wrapped around him and tore at his skin, climbing into his mouth and shredding his bones and…

* * *

 

Just as One burst into a cloud of dust, Set opened his eyes with a sharp gasp, screams bursting from his lips as he fought whatever was restraining him. Leonard started crying anew when Four removed its hands, holding the flailing man close because  _ dammit he was alive. _

“Oh God, Set,” He sobbed out, “You’re okay. Hush darlin’, everythin’ is goin’ to be fine,” He murmured into burnt red hair, “Thank you, Four. You brought him back to me.”

Stumbling uncharacteristically off the pad, the last remaining Omni knelt before the duo, ignoring the other officers who had just burst in at the sound of Set’s scream, “You are welcome, Leonard McCoy,” Four’s lights were nearly dimmed entirely, “Extend my gratitude.”

“I will.”

When Four crumbled to dust, Leonard looked back down at the  _ breathing _ Betazoid in his arms, who had calmed down but was panting heavily into the doctor’s scrubs, eyes shut tight and gloved hands fisted in his white coat. Both Kirk and Spock, mindful of the stardust coating the ground, clambered their way towards them both, collapsing to their knees in relief, “I’ve got you, Set. I’ve got you.”

Hesitantly, black eyes fluttered open, not entirely focused as they glanced up to the man holding him, “Len?”

“That’s right,” And to think, that just minutes ago he would have had to live the rest of his life without hearing that accented voice again. Set’s face promptly collapsed on itself as he started weeping, heaving with the force of his cries.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Laughing because it was all so  _ surreal _ , Leonard pulled him closer, rocking him back and forth like he’d done so many times over the past couple of months. Grabbing Kirk’s command shirt, he hauled the other two in for a hug in spite of Spock’s stiffening, wrapping Set with their bodies and offering him the comfort he so desperately needed, “Please forgive me…”

“There is nothing to forgive,” Spock murmured, “To apologise for what happened would be illogical,” The Betazoid huffed in response, sniffling, “We should, perhaps, make sure that you are healthy.”

“What the hobgoblin said.”

* * *

 

The Omnis, while all-powerful, were not enough to heal all of the damage inflicted during his death. After having allowed himself a good cry, Set found himself terribly exhausted and sore, which led to an assisted trip to Medbay and threats of ‘if you sneak out again I’ll hypo your ass and strap you down’.

He was too tired to laugh.

“You okay?” Bones asked him quietly, fingers pressed against the pulse point in the Betazoid’s wrist. He had already taken the readings from the machines, but sometimes he needed to perform some of the checks himself to feel reassured.

“Kind of a stupid question,” Set sighed, keeping his eyes shut. All he wanted to do right now was sleep. Maybe he could convince Leonard to get in the biobed and just hold him, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” The doctor patted his hand before continuing with the exam, “It’s just that you’re quiet. It makes me nervous, but I understand.”

“Doctor McCoy?” Chapel stuck her head into the private room, “We’re clocking out for the day.”

“Alright, Christine,” He smiled, giving her a small nod, “Have a nice day.”

“You too,” She turned to Set, “Feel better soon, hun,” She disappeared in a whirl of blonde hair with a bounce to her step.

“She’s surprisingly lively,” Set commented, picking at a loose string on his hospital gown. Most of the crew members he had seen today looked as tired as he felt, their regulation posture slumped over and faces drawn with stress, “But I guess that’s just Chris.”

“That’s true,” Leonard chuckled. Setting the PADD in his hands aside, he nudged at Set’s side, “Scoot.”

“What?”

“I very well can’t lay on top of you now, can I?”

“Don’t you want to sleep in an actual bed?” He didn’t protest much as he shimmied over, leaving enough room for the doctor to climb under the covers next to him, who toed off his boots before nudging a leg between Set’s. Giving a soft kiss, McCoy hooked his arm around the Betazoid, fingers splayed out as he pulled their bodies flush, “Not much room on this thing for two people.”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than with you,” He murmured against his lips. Set hummed, eyes fluttering shut as he reveled in the contact. Reaching a hand up, he curled his fingers into the doctor’s brown hair, pressing more open-mouthed kisses against thin lips. He pulled back when a salty taste hit his tongue, “I almost lost you today.”

“There was nothing ‘almost’ about it,” He whispered, thumbs reaching up to brush away Leonard’s tears. His chin trembled as he smiled, “You  _ did _ lose me. But your stubborn ass saved me. Thank you.”

“Promise me not to pull somethin’ like that again,” Pressing more kisses along the Betazoid’s jaw, his fingers rubbed at the small of his back, easing the knot that had formed there.

“You know I can’t,” Leonard pulled away to look at him, a slight frown pulling at his lips, “I’ll do anything to make sure you’re safe. You can’t ask me to stand by when I can do something to stop whatever puts you in danger,” Bones sighed before nodding, and returned to kissing him.

“Then I’ll do anythin’ to make sure you come back to me.”

As they lay together, limbs tangled and eyes drooping in fatigue, they really felt that the worst was behind them.

* * *

 

“My mother is coming aboard?” Although the question was posed as a statement, Kirk nodded anyway, a nervous grin on his face. Set groaned, burying his face into his pillow, “She’s gonna be so scary.”

“Now, lieutenant,” Jim said, “She can’t be that bad. Besides, I’ve heard some interesting stories about her from you, I want to meet this amazing woman.”

He rolled his eyes in response to that. His captain wasn’t  _ wrong _ per say, but he wasn’t necessarily right either. Yes, Yael Cohen-Esero was an amazing woman, one that he’s proud to call his mother. ‘She can’t be that bad’. Well, Jim was certainly in for a surprise. Yael is incredibly protective over his safety, and once she hears what exactly happened in the last couple of days or so, all hell was going to break loose.

“How did she even manage to get transportation here so quickly? How’d she even know I’m recovering?” Leonard gave him a sheepish look from his place by the head of the biobed, having been performing his routine check up on Set’s vitals.

“That may have been me,” He said, “I comm’d her from my office early this morning, and I told her that you were under observation after your ordeal. I figured it was the right thing to do. Apparently she was able to hitch a ride on the  _ Antares, _ which will be assisting us in ship repairs before heading back to Earth. They’ll be in range in a couple of hours.”

Dread settled in his stomach, “And exactly how much of my ‘ordeal’ did you tell her?”

“Well, that you basically have been having waking nightmares and that you just saved our universe as we know it.”

“So you didn’t mention my death, at all?”

The smiles on Jim and Leonard’s faces fell. Set and Spock were the only ones who could talk about his passing with relative ease.

“No. No, I didn’t.”

“Don’t tell me you expect us to keep it from her, do you?” Both of their faces said all he need to know, and he let out a frustrated sigh, “You two need to understand something. This is my  _ mother _ . She will find out, one way or another, and lord help us should she discover that on her own.”

“I could break the news to her,” Jim offered, but Set furiously shook his head.

“No, I’ll tell her. It’d be better if she heard it from me,” He settled back on the bed with a sigh, a sudden wave of exhaustion washing over him, “If I’m still awake by then, that is.”

Leonard’s face softened at that, a mixture of sympathy and fondness relaxing his shoulders. It had only been two full days since Set’s resurrection, but it became quickly obvious that part of coming back from the dead included an ever present fatigue he couldn’t seem to shake.

“Then sleep,” McCoy murmured to him, pulling the blanket up further on Set’s body and leaning down to place a kiss on his cheek, “We’ll take care of it if we have to, okay? Besides, isn’t it time I met your mother in the first place?”

He merely hummed in response, not bothering to resist the pull of sleep when it finally came minutes later.

Kirk made a face.

“What?”

“You’re sappy.”

“Can you blame us?”

Jim glanced over to Set, who was leaning into the hand stroking his hair, even in sleep.

“No. I can’t.”

* * *

 

When Yael Cohen-Esero beamed aboard in all of her short glory, a black hijab on her head and a fierce look on her face, her body language screamed aggression, what with her crossed arms and wide stance. The crow’s feet by her eyes and laughs lines around her lips did nothing to make her seem less intimidating.

She certainly came prepared.

“Welcome to the  _ Enterprise _ , ma’am.”

“Don’t ‘ma’am’ me,” Her accented voice cracked like a whip, and Spock found himself raising his eyebrow in response. Kirk flushed, quite possibly flustered at the unexpected reply. Set hald told them before that his mother wasn’t very fond of Starfleet officers, ever since her husband abandoned the two of them. While her opinion on the organisation as a whole had warmed in favour of Set’s occupation, she was still a little bitter, “Where is my son, Captain Kirk?”

Jim gave her a tight smile, “If you’ll follow me, Mrs. Esero,” She scowled at the name, but followed behind the captain and his first officer, “Lieutenant Esero may not be awake yet, last I was in medical, he was sound asleep.”

“I understand he is recovering, but from what, I don’t know,” Yael said, “Doctor McCoy didn’t see it fit to fill me in on the details. As his captain and his commanding officer, I’m assuming you know everything about the situation.”

And this was precisely what Jim wanted to avoid. Spock opened his mouth to answer her query, but Kirk raised a hand, “I would tell you, but Doctor McCoy and Hiset agreed to inform you themselves. Set was particularly insistent on this, as a matter of fact.”

She huffed at that, but other than that said nothing in response.

It was Nurse Chapel that greeted them in Sickbay, a kind smile on her lips as she led them towards the back of the large room, “Lieutenant Esero is still sleeping, but Doctor McCoy would like to fill you in on his condition before he wakes.”

As if on cue, Bones stepped out of the room assigned to Set. He was obviously expecting them, as he didn’t hesitate to hold out his hand for Yael to take, “Mrs. Esero.”

“Yael, please,” Her demeanor was warmer, “You are my  _ tateleh’ _ s lover. Now, tell me what happened. Everything.”

Leonard grimaced a bit, before gesturing them to follow him to his office, giving a slight not to Chapel in thanks when she left to attend to other patients, “I suggest you sit down for this Yael, it’s a long story, and frankly, one you’re not going to like.”

With the help of Spock and Kirk, McCoy told her everything that happened, starting with Jahannam. It didn’t take long, as she didn’t interrupt them, though it looked like she wanted to badly, especially when Kirk had threatened Set with those charges all those months ago.

But when it came to the part where her baby boy had died, she had stood with a yell, tears running down her face as she turned to leave the room.

“No, no! Yael, he’s fine,” Leonard said, as gently as possible as he held her back, “He’s healthy and safe, Yael. Let us finish telling you the rest, and then you can see him.”

And she let them.

The story ended with a fierce hug from an equally fierce woman, who buried her face into McCoy’s shoulder and cried her heart out, “Thank you, thank you.  _ Toda raba  _ for bringing my  _ matoki _ back to me,” There was no way for Leonard to deny the fact that he shed a few tears himself in response to her grateful mutterings.

When the two of them had entered Set’s room, Kirk and Spock having opted to return to the bridge, Yael had rushed to the now awake Betazoid and pulled him close, whispering Hebrew into his red hair. After the initial shock of their appearance wore off, Set wrapped his arms around his mother, reveling in her warmth in a way he hadn’t done in such a long time.

“No more sacrificing,” She whispered, “I mean it.”

Set said nothing in response; just pulled her closer. Because he couldn’t promise such a thing, not even to his own mother. It seemed she knew that - Yael was always an intuitive woman - so she pulled back and caressed his face, before promptly turning the subject around and rounding on McCoy, threatening him with bodily harm if he were to hurt her little boy.

Her son flushed red and hid his face in his hands, horrified. But Leonard took it in stride, up until, “Amah, do you  _ have  _ to threaten Len?”

“I don’t want another Richard,” He was mildly offended by that, but he definitely understood her fear.

“Yael,” He said, claiming her full attention, “I swear on my daddy’s grave that I would never leave Set like  _ Dick _ did. If I ever do, you are free to hunt my pathetic ass to the ends of the universe and destroy it.”

She gave him an assessing look, before saying, “I would have done so with or without your permission.”

_ And that’s that, kitty cat. _

It took a full week for ship repairs to be completed and for Set to mostly recover from That Day, and his mother was there for every step of it. She and Leonard were there to support him when it seemed like he had to learn how to walk again, they were there to clean his face and rub his back when he regurgitated his lunch because his body was still in a state of shock to handle food, and they were there when panic attacks struck him because of the dark.

So, when it was time for her to leave, Set was strong enough to see her off and to cry shamelessly into her shoulder, “ _ Ani ohevet otcha, amah. Ani ohevet otcha _ .”

Scotty tipped an invisible hat to her as she said, “Energise.”

When her particles were transferred back over to the  _ Antares _ , a duffle in hand and a gentle kiss placed on both Leonard’s and Set’s cheeks, Kirk appeared beside them.

“Your mother is a fantastic and amazing woman, Set. You really are her son.”

And to Set, that was something to be proud of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Amah_ \- Mother  
>  _Tateleh_ \- Little boy  
>  _Matoki_ \- Sweetie  
>  _Toda raba_ \- Thank you  
>  _Ani ohevet otcha_ \- I love you (male to female)


	16. Act III Chapter V: So We Journey On

“Five years… I cannae believe it!”

Set beamed at Scotty, a flute of champagne in his grasp. The two of them, in their stuffy uniforms, stood by the window, free hands behind their backs as they sipped at their beverages, “I can,” He said, eyes twinkling. He was more jovial than usual with the cheerful emotions in the air, “I think we did a good job, considering how much of a trouble magnet the  _ Enterprise _ proved to be in that time.”

“Now don’t be insultin’ my silver lady,” The engineer mock scolded, a twitching smile on his lips, “I would say that our dear  _ captain _ was the one that attracted trouble.”

“You mean his  _ shirt _ ,” The Betazoid nearly shouted, trying to be heard over the din of the other officers. Despite the sheer size of San Francisco's largest banquet hall, not every crew member of the flagship could fit inside - not to mention the admiralty and other senior ranking officers that were present. Several groups had actually converged onto the balcony in the cool night air, chattering amongst themselves, “Do you know how many he went through in a given day? It was ridiculous. I would say the replicators were malfunctioning if I didn’t know any better. No, Jim’s shirts were definitely our trouble magnet.”

“My ears are burning,” Kirk chuckled from behind them, surprising them enough for them to nearly spill their drinks, “Conspiring against me?”

“Now, Jim,” Leonard showed up out of nowhere, snaking an arm around Set’s waist and pressing a kiss against his temple, “I think it’s me they’re conspirin’ against. These two are planning to rendezvous after this party and run away into the sunset.”

“You think I have a chance with  _ him _ ?” The Scotsman exclaimed incredulously, “I dinnae know you were delusional, doctor.”

“Aw Scotty,” The lieutenant pulled him into a hug, pecking him on the cheek, “You are a very attractive man inside and out, especially with that kilt. However, I just so happen to like grouchy southern doctors more than Scottish engineers.”

“You better,” Bones growled playfully, discreetly grabbing a satisfying handful of ass. Set shrieked in surprise and slapped him on the arm, “Ouch! Okay, I’m sorry, darlin’!”

“You two are disgusting,” Jim scowled, downing the rest of champagne in one gulp.

“While their interactions are uncomfortable to witness, Captain, I would not call it ‘disgusting’,” Spock spoke up, having popped in during Kirk’s comment with Uhura in tow. The communications officer was trying - and failing - to stifle her giggles behind her hand, “Their profound relationship should be cherished, in fact.”

“Why Spock,” Leonard drawled, a shit-eating grin on his lips, “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you actually  _ approved _ of our relationship.”

“Leave the poor man alone, Len,” Spock merely raised an eyebrow in response, clearly not amused at the doctor’s words, “He could knock you flat on your ass if he wanted to, you know.”

“That he could,” Sulu decided to show up at that moment, not so inconspicuously supporting a buzzed Chekov, “But he wouldn’t. That’d be  _ illogical _ .”

The joke flew over the Vulcan’s head as he nodded in agreement, “Lieutenant Sulu is correct,” Everyone present tittered amongst themselves while Spock remained confused, “I fail to understand what is so humorous.”

Kirk gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder, “That’s why we love you so much. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a speech to make. So, if you’ll excuse me,” Handing his empty glass to a passing server, the captain disappeared into the crowd with a flourish, heading towards the dance floor.

“Is ze keptain always so… dramatic?”

“You’ve worked with him for how long, Chekov? What do you think the answer to that is?”

“...Yes.”

* * *

 

“One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days,” While he had looked perfectly at ease and casual merely minutes before grabbing the mic, now Kirk stood regal before the crowd of expectant faces, having just been rewarded a few commendations from Admiral Archer, “That’s how long it’s been for all of us. Together we served on the  _ Enterprise _ , forming a camaraderie amongst ourselves that’s helped us move forward, through thick and through thin.

“Together, we face augmented humans from a time long ago. Together, we faced a giant green hand,” There was a wave of titters from the crowd at that, and a few even clapped, “Together, we faced so many ridiculous situations, all in the name of discovery,” Jim’s light-hearted demeanour turned serious, “But for as many things we faced that no one would believe if it weren’t for our records, we also faced danger. In those one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days, we lost twenty-six crew members.”

Many present sobered at that, bowing their heads in respect for the dead, “But their deaths will not be in vain. At the beginning of our mission, I said that we would explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilisations, and boldly go where no one has gone before. And that’s what we did; we accomplished what we set out to do. And we’re better for it,” There was an applause and a few emphatic ‘whoops’ at that, “And there are some individuals I would like to acknowledge for their admirable performance on this mission.

“First Officer and Chief Science Officer Spock.”

“Second Officer and Chief Engineering Officer Montgomery Scott.”

“Chief Communications Officer Nyota Uhura.”

“Chief Navigations Officer Hikaru Sulu.”

“Chief Weapons Officer Pavel Chekov.”

Set squeezed his mother’s hand as he watched on from his seat adjacent to the stage, one by one as each senior officer was called forward to stand tall and proud when they received their awards, “Chief Medical Officer Leonard McCoy,” Leonard was the last to be called, who lifted the Starfleet Medal of Valour off his chest to show Set while he was still on stage, a look on his face saying ‘yeah, that’s right, I’ve got a medal’. The Betazoid laughed silently at that, proud as he clapped for him.

Set thought that it would be over as the non-senior personnel had been awarded their commendations during a ceremony two days prior, but when Kirk turned to face him specifically, he was proven wrong.

“Today, we’re going to break a bit from tradition. But the admiralty agreed that the circumstances were necessary, so I would like to call Lieutenant Hiset Esero to the stage,” So surprised he was, that he didn’t get up at first, until his mother nudged him forward, a knowing smile on her painted lips. The room burst into confused, but enthusiastic applause as he made his way up the short flight of stairs, palms sweating and a nervous smile on his lips. He cast a quick glance McCoy’s way, who only gave him an encouraging look from his seat on the stage.

The traitors knew this was going to happen.

Set almost fainted when President Shivl of the Federation stepped up beside Kirk, trading the thin, black velvet box in her hands for the microphone from the ship captain.

“Lieutenant Hiset Esero,” Her smooth voice, with a heavy Andorian accent, silenced the room, “You, among your many crewmates, received your awards and commendations two days ago. However, in light of your actions during the  _ Enterprise _ ’s five-year mission, the admiralty and I felt that there was not a medal or award in existence to properly recognise what you’ve done. To compensate, we made a new one,” Set couldn’t find his voice to say anything, especially with the lump lodged in his throat, “So today, I personally present to you the Infinity Award,” Kirk opened the box with a beaming smile, revealing a simple crystal star framed by a gold circle on a blue ribbon. She lifted it gently and pinned it to the left breast of his uniform, taking extra care to push the pin through the fabric, “This will always be awarded to those who have performed selflessly with honour, bravery, and valour to protect the universe as whole, and all species within. I believe I can speak for everyone who lives because of your actions that we all thank you for your service.”

The Betazoid couldn’t stop the tears from silently running down his freckled cheeks when he finally croaked out a thank you, shaking her delicate hand in his as the room exploded with cheers and applause. Cameras flashed and he was momentarily blinded from the bright lights, furiously blinking away the tears and spots obscuring his vision.

Yael was standing now, with her hands pressed to her heart and tears in her eyes. She was positively  _ glowing _ , and nothing could describe the feeling of knowing he made his  _ amah _ beam like she was doing now.  _ He _ did that. After years of stressing her out and disappointing her - despite her claims otherwise - Set had finally done it.

He hadn’t noticed when Leonard made his way over to him until the doctor took his clammy hands in his own, smiling beatifically at him when he got the Betazoid’s full attention, “I’m so proud of you, darlin’,” He leaned in to mutter, squeezing his hands gently as his own medal gleamed when it caught the light, “ _ So _ proud.”

Set could honestly say that he was overwhelmed with everything at the moment, from the sound of everyone’s support to the feelings of euphoria thrumming through his veins. It didn’t help that he still felt a little buzzed from the earlier champagne, what with his low alcohol tolerance and all.

“I love you, so  _ so  _ much. All of the words in the world would be insufficient to describe your beauty and my devotion to you.”

So when Leonard reached into his pocket to retrieve a small box and dropped to one knee, he started openly sobbing, covering his mouth with his hand as ugly sounds burst from his lips.

“Will you give me the honour of being your husband?”

He just nodded furiously, speechless as the cheers reached impossible levels when his fiancé stood to gently place the ring on his finger. Jim was particularly vocal from his spot merely feet away, gripping Spock’s arm in excitement, who merely indulged him with a small smile as he looked on.

After pulling him in for a deep embrace and a tender kiss, Set touched their foreheads together, forcing himself to get his emotions under control.

Just enough to say, “My  _ imzadi _ . Forever and always, I’m yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... a whimsical, happy ending? Definitely not my MO!
> 
> Thank you guys for sticking through this story, from the beginning to the end! I didn't expect the feedback that I received considering I paired an OC with a canon character.
> 
> Stay tuned for more in Stellar Abyss! Set's story isn't over quite yet.

**Author's Note:**

> Stellar Abyss cover is here: http://phantom-brushy.tumblr.com/post/155508835455/so-i-redid-the-cover-for-my-fancomic-which-i-am  
> Race to the End cover is here: http://phantom-brushy.tumblr.com/post/159718547855/i-decided-to-make-a-cover-for-race-to-the


End file.
